Crisis Looms in NMA as Aggrieved Members Protest Exclusion from Election

• Ex-Lagos chapter chairman threatens court action

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The election of new National Executive of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is currently fueling conflict with one of the members, a consultant family physician and past chairman of the Medical Guild, Lagos, Dr. Sodipo Oluwajimi, threatening to challenge his exclusion from the contest in court.

Oluwajimi alleged he and six other candidates were being excluded contesting for electoral positions by the association despite meeting all the requirements.

In a statement signed by Oluwajimi, the physician said despite the objection to the disqualification by all the organs of the association, the incumbent NMA president, Prof Bala Audu, and members of his national officers committee have refused to budge.

Aggrieved Oluwajimi said: “Despite meeting the constitutional requirement of a signed form with valid proposer and seconder alongside evidence of previously being a National Executive Council member, six (6) candidates were disqualified including myself.

“The overall consensus from all the organs of the association including past presidents, past secretaries-general and the members of the national executive council committee is that the disqualification is illegal.

“However, the president, Dr. (Prof.) Bala Audu and members of his national officers committee have remained recalcitrant in reversing the illegal disqualification,” Oluwajimi said.

He said the exclusion plot amounts to jettisoning integrity, rule of law and the association’s constitution.

He also said the disregard for rules is alien to doctors and our profession and must be resisted by all.

With the annual general meeting less than three weeks away, Oluwajimi called for immediate intervention of state chairmen, past presidents, delegates and members of NMA to save the organization from avoidable crisis.

“Failure to do so will be challenged to the highest level of the judicial system,” he warned.

Oluwajimi urged the stakeholders to intervene to protect the integrity of the association by reversing the illegal disqualification and upholding the rule of law.

“With the myriads of health care problems in Nigeria, it will be unfortunate if the inordinate ambition of the current NMA national leadership to foist a predetermined executive on members leads to chaos, crisis and division of the association,” he said.