NMA members removes Lagos Chairman

NMA members removes Lagos Chairman

The Lagos State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has removed its Chairman, Babajide Saheed.

He was removed following an Emergency General Meeting held on Saturday in Lagos.

The decision to sack the Dr Saheed was reached through a secret ballot by members of the association, who accused the former chairman of repeated violations of the body’s constitution and internal regulations.

The former 1st Vice-Chairman, Tender Ewonowo, was subsequently  asked to assumed office as the new chairman in line with the association’s constitutional provisions.

Ewonowo said the decision to remove the former chairman followed a series of alleged infractions, including failure to convene an Emergency General Meeting within the stipulated time after a formal request was made by affiliate heads and members.

He also alleged that the former chairman walked out of a duly constituted Emergency General Meeting held on January 13, 2026, and submitted an unauthorised delegate list that was not approved by congress.

He added, “Disciplinary concerns were further heightened after the chairman allegedly referred members to a disciplinary committee without proper approval from either the State Executive Council or the Emergency General Meeting.

“Before now, I was the 1st vice-chairman. The former chairman was served a letter by the affiliate heads to say his own side of what has happened with respect to some of these constitutional infractions, within a period of seven days, as contained in the constitution. He didn’t respond.”

Ewonowo added that after the expiration of the required waiting period, members convened the emergency meeting and proceeded with the vote in line with the association’s rules.

“So, I’m now the new NMA chairman,” he said.

He explained that section eight of the NMA constitution provides that the 1st vice-chairman automatically assumes leadership if the chairman is removed from office.

Ewonowo further stated that the meeting was validly constituted, with 112 members and nine affiliate heads in attendance, exceeding the required quorum.

He noted that 93 members voted for the chairman’s removal, while four voted against and three ballots were invalid.

The association maintained that the Emergency General Meeting remains its highest decision-making body, and insisted that due process was followed in the leadership change.