Members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Lagos Branch, have voted to remove their chairman, Mr. Babajide Saheed, following a ballot at an Emergency General Meeting held in Lagos on Saturday.
Mr. Temidire Ewonowo, the First Vice-Chairman, has assumed office as chairman in accordance with the association’s constitution.
The decision, reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was reached through a secret ballot conducted among members present at the meeting, reflecting a decisive internal governance action within one of the country’s most influential professional bodies.
Explaining the rationale for the leadership change, Mr. Ewonowo cited a series of constitutional breaches attributed to Mr. Saheed. Chief among these was the failure to convene an Emergency General Meeting within seven days, despite a formal request from 10 affiliate heads and several members, as required by the association’s rules.
Ewonowo further alleged that the former chairman walked out of a duly constituted Emergency General Meeting on 13 January 2026 and submitted a delegate list that had not been ratified by the same meeting—actions deemed inconsistent with established governance procedures.
He added that Mr. Saheed also referred members of the Lagos State branch to a disciplinary committee based on what was described as an unfounded premise, namely a decision that had neither been taken at a State Executive Council meeting nor at an Emergency General Meeting.
According to Ewonowo, the former chairman was formally invited to respond to the allegations within seven days, in line with constitutional provisions, but failed to do so. “The former chairman was served a letter by the affiliate heads to present his account regarding these constitutional infractions within seven days, as stipulated. He did not respond,” he said.
He noted that the constitution also provides a three-day window within which an emergency meeting should be convened. With this requirement unmet, the congress, in conjunction with affiliate heads, proceeded to remove Mr. Saheed from office. “Section eight of section one of the NMA rules clearly states that where a chairman is removed, the First Vice-Chairman shall assume office. On that basis, I have now become chairman,” Ewonowo stated.
The meeting satisfied quorum requirements, with 112 members and nine affiliate heads in attendance. Of those present, 93 voted in favour of the chairman’s removal, while four opposed the motion and three ballots were declared invalid.
Describing the Emergency General Meeting as the association’s highest decision-making body, Ewonowo pledged to prioritise members’ welfare and restore unity within the branch—an outcome with clear implications for workforce stability and professional cohesion in Lagos’ healthcare sector.
Affirming his leadership approach, he emphasised collective governance and collaboration with the State Executive Council. “We have been elected as equals to lead the association, and we will work together as a congress,” he said.
He also underscored his commitment to improving working conditions for doctors. “This is not an era in which Lagos doctors will be denied their rights or subjected to dehumanising conditions. The association will resist such practices vehemently,” he added, signalling a stronger advocacy stance on employee welfare and labour standards within the state’s health system.
