By Chioma Obinna

The leadership crisis in the Nigerian Medical Association Lagos State branch, (NMA) took a fresh twist on Friday as some former chairmen of the association declared that the removal of Dr. Babajide Kehinde Saheed followed due process, while the branch leadership insisted he remains the constitutionally recognised chairman.

The opposing positions have deepened a months-long dispute that has split one of the association’s most influential branches and raised fresh concerns over unity ahead of its next state elections.

In a report issued after a June 20 meeting, and officially signed by six out of the 13 listed past chairmen of the Lagos branch said they had reviewed the circumstances surrounding two Emergency General Meetings (EGMs) held in January and April and concluded that both processes complied with the provisions of the NMA constitution and the Lagos branch Rules and Regulations.

The elders, led by former Lagos chairman and past NMA President, Dr. Oluwole Atoyebi, said the crisis began on January 13 when an EGM convened to elect delegates for the Annual Delegates’ Meeting in Kano turned contentious after Saheed allegedly attempted to allocate delegate positions without an election.

According to the report, members rejected the move, prompting Saheed to walk out of the meeting.
The former chairmen said over 82 members and 13 affiliate leaders remained behind, invoked constitutional provisions and continued the meeting under the supervision of First Vice-Chairman, Dr. Temidire Ewonowo, where delegates were subsequently elected.

The elders said their review showed that the continuation of that meeting was lawful and that Saheed had violated constitutional provisions by failing to conduct elections.

The dispute escalated in April after members requested another EGM to address allegations of abuse of office, constitutional breaches and disciplinary referrals made without executive approval.

When Saheed reportedly failed to convene the meeting, members went ahead with it on April 18.
According to the former chairmen, 112 members attended the meeting and 94 per cent voted in favour of Saheed’s removal.

“The outcomes of both the January and April emergency meetings are quite in order and acceptable by virtue of the facts available and the provisions of both the NMA Constitution and the Lagos Rules and Regulations,” the report stated.

The elders also dismissed the findings of the NMA National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Atilola, who had earlier reviewed the dispute, describing his conclusions as “untenable and heavily biased” in favour of Saheed.
To restore confidence ahead of the next elections, they called on the national leadership of the association, led by Prof. Akhinde Ernest Omoti, to directly conduct the Lagos branch polls.

But in a response, the Lagos branch headed by Saheed rejected the report outright, insisting that the committee of past chairmen lacks constitutional powers to make binding pronouncements on the crisis.
“The report has no constitutional basis and is of no binding effect,” Saheed said in a statement.

He argued that under the NMA constitution, the committee of past chairmen serves only an advisory role and cannot override decisions of the Annual Delegates’ Meeting or the National Executive Council.
Saheed maintained that the April/May 2026 Annual Delegates’ Meeting in Kano had formally recognised him as chairman of the Lagos branch, making any contrary position invalid.

“The decisions of the Annual Delegates’ Meeting constitute the highest authority of the association and remain binding until altered through another duly constituted Annual Delegates’ Meeting,” he said.
He also questioned the composition of the former chairmen’s meeting, alleging that some senior past leaders were excluded from the process.

Saheed warned that taking the matter to the public could worsen divisions and undermine the internal conflict-resolution structures of the association.
“The publication of the report serves only to escalate tensions and unnecessarily expose the association to public controversy,” he said.

With both camps standing firmly by their positions, attention is now shifting to the national leadership of the NMA, which many members believe may have to step in decisively to prevent the dispute from spilling into the next Lagos branch elections.