NMA dismisses crisis claims, to elect new leaders in May

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is gearing up for a significant event as over 1,000 doctors from across Nigeria converge in Kano for its 66th Annual General Conference and Delegates Meeting in May 2026. A key highlight of this gathering will be the election of new national officers, marking a historic shift for the association. This will be the first time the NMA conducts elections based on delegates, a change implemented following a recent amendment to its constitution, designed to enhance representation and fairness.

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The NMA, under the leadership of its President, Bala Muhammad Audu, is expected to host over 1,000 accredited delegates drawn from its 37 state branches and eight affiliate bodies, making the gathering one of the largest in its history.

Amidst whispers of internal tensions, NMA Secretary-General Ben Egbo has firmly dismissed any notions of a crisis within the association. He asserts that the entire process leading up to the elections is credible and strictly adheres to constitutional guidelines. Egbo highlighted that the conference, themed ‘Bridging Research, Policy and Practice: Strengthening Nigeria’s Health System for Resilience and Equity,’ will provide a crucial platform for discussing critical challenges facing Nigeria's health sector. The NMA's leadership structure is anchored on a rotational system across seven geopolitical zones, a principle Egbo praised as promoting peace and national spread, wishing Nigeria itself could adopt such a system.

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The system is designed in such a way that the presidency rotates among the seven zones. I wish Nigeria could adopt that system—it would promote a lot of peace.

Egbo clarified that both he and the current NMA President, Bala Muhammad Audu, hail from the North-East geopolitical zone, in line with the established rotation principle. He addressed disagreements within sections of the association, including the disqualification of some aspirants, stating that all actions are guided by the NMA's constitution and regulations, not sentiment. He criticized what he termed "unconstitutional actions" by aggrieved individuals attempting to challenge the process outside established channels, likening such attempts to claims of overthrowing a government, which he deemed unrealistic for institutional operations. Despite these tensions, Egbo remains confident that there is no threat of factionalization within the NMA.

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When some individuals were disqualified, there was initial sympathy, but we are guided by rules and regulations—it is not a matter of sentiment.