Leadership dispute rocks NMA as delegates announce president’s suspension

"The NOC claimed that there are some irregularities with these candidates' applications, and that they submitted incomplete documents. This position is alien to NMA; the excuse used on these candidates is alien to us.

"We have tried all that we could to resolve and address this matter peacefully before this EDM, but to no avail. The NOC adamantly refused, so we then took this matter up and collected signatures from 105 members for this EDM, which covers two-thirds of the state branches.

"We have taken our stance because what Audu did is a violation of the NMA constitution," he said.

Chairman of NMA-FCT, Emeka Ayogu, supported the meeting's outcome, stating that internal efforts to resolve the dispute had failed.

According to him, the leadership's actions left members with limited options, adding that the priority was to preserve unity within the association.

"We want NMA that will remain united, we want NMA that will talk about the rights and welfare of members, therefore, we have no choice than to ask Audu led NOC to pack their load and go, they have caused a lot of injuries to members.

"Members are ready for anything that may come up after this meeting be it legal action or the other way around; we are ready for anything," Ayogu said.

A former Deputy Secretary General, Umezurike Ikechukwu, also criticised the development, expressing concern over tensions within the association.

"I don't know what Audu's intention is. This is really, really annoying. And it is very unpleasant to the body of the NMA, there has been peace in NMA all these years. There have been peaceful transitions all these years, why now, must we go this way?

"This idea of Bala Audu is gearing towards disrupting the association. Must we go this path that tends to drag the NMA to mud, whatever action that needs to be taken to stop this ugly trend should be taken."

However, in a swift response, the NMA leadership said those who convened the unauthorised EDM that purportedly suspended its President, Prof Bala Audu, and the NOC would face disciplinary action in line with its constitution.

The Secretary-General of the association, Dr. Ben Egbo, told The Nation on Thursday that the action of the group would be reviewed and appropriate sanctions applied.

“As it stands, the matter will be reviewed in line with the association’s constitution, and appropriate measures will be taken,” he said.

Egbo added that the association’s Annual Delegates Meeting (ADM) will go ahead as scheduled next week, with elections also proceeding as planned.

“Next week, we are holding our Annual Delegate Meeting. It is once a year, but if the need arises, we can hold an Emergency Delegates Meeting at any time,” he said.

He also confirmed that the disqualification of one presidential candidate has been upheld following a review.

“The disqualification has been reviewed after some interventions, and the decision was upheld. There is no going back on it,” he said.

The controversy follows a meeting by some members who claimed to have convened an EDM and announced the suspension of the NMA president and the NOC.

However, Egbo dismissed the move as unconstitutional, stating that due process was not followed.

“The process for becoming president is clearly defined, and so is the procedure for suspending an officer. What happened here does not follow any known process,” he said.

Citing Article 7(2) of the NMA constitution, Egbo said only the President or the National Officers Committee (NOC) can convene an EDM. 

He added that members may also request such a meeting, but only through a written process endorsed by at least 100 members drawn from no fewer than half of the States and the FCT, and submitted to the President or Secretary-General.

He said the Constitution further requires the President to convene the meeting within two weeks of receiving a valid request.

According to him, none of these conditions were met in the disputed meeting, rendering both the gathering and its decisions invalid.

Egbo maintained that the Delegates’ Meeting remains the association’s highest decision-making body under Article 7(1), but stressed that its authority must be exercised in line with established procedures.

He noted that only the president or the secretary-general has the authority to convene an EDM, as stipulated in the association’s constitution.

“Any meeting called outside that provision is invalid,” he said.

Emphasizing the illegality of the purported EdM, Egbo recalled, "They submitted a list calling for the EDM, and we wrote back to them that they have not met the constitutional requirements. 

"Rather than do the needful, they resorted to self-help by sacking the duly elected members of the NOC."

Egbo also questioned the meeting's credibility, noting that it was reportedly led by a former secretary-general who should be familiar with the rules.

On the election dispute, he said the guidelines governing the process have been in place for over two decades and must be adhered to.

“The requirements were not arbitrarily introduced. They have been in place for over 20 years,” he said.

He cited failure to meet documentation requirements as grounds for disqualification, noting that the affected candidate admitted to not complying fully.

“Other candidates complied with the same requirements without issue. The guidelines exist for a reason and must be followed,” he said.