Enugu NMA election crisis: Akpeh heads to court

…says NEC decision on election travesty of justice

The crisis in Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) over the winner of the November chairmanship election is yet to settle as the leading contestant, Dr. James Akpeh, has vowed to challenge the outcome in court.

Akpeh, shortly after the re-run election conducted by Caretaker Committee, petition the National Executive Council of NMA over irregularities and breach of the Association’s extant laws and asked that he should be declared as the rightful winner of the poll.

But despite Akpeh’s opposition to the election, NMA during its December NEC meeting held in Awka, Anambra State, ratified the election as conducted by the CTC, despite accepting that there was irregularity. 

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In a communique issued at the end of the Awka NEC meeting, on December 11, 2020, NMA National President, had while reacting to the petition of Akpeh, said that National Organising Committee (NOC), after thorough investigation and analysis of the election results, stated “100 out of the 139 that voted from ARD ESUTH parklane were truly eligible to vote. 

“NOC disqualified the 39 that voted from ARD ESUTH parklane because CTC used permutation to allocate possible voters that made up the 39. NOC discussed and resolved that the 39 was not qualified as permutation method used in selecting them was not acceptable and not known to democracy, thus the 39 does not exist and could not be put as voters because they had no names. 

“NOC observed that those selected that constitute the 39 were done on random sampling and is not acceptable in election. To this effect NOC agreed that 39 votes be removed from the total votes that went to Dr J.O.T Onyia assuming that all of them voted for him and having done that NOC still found out that Dr J.O.T Onyia still won the Chairmanship election after removing the 39 from his total score.”

But Akpeh in a pre-action notice to the NMA President in Council, dated December 11, 2020, rejected the decision of the NEC. 

Titled: ‘rejection of National Executive Council (NEC) decision of 11th December (Awka) on the just concluded re-run election of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu and pre action notice’, Akpeh, said the decision of NEC was a travesty of justice.

The letter which our correspondent sighted on Sunday, partly read, “my rejection of the ruling is based on the following: the Caretaker Committee lied to NEC that election was without rancour, despite extra 141 voters from ESUT Resident Doctors they unilaterally added as constitutionally eligible, even when they are not. The CTC chairman hid from NEC my protests, both orally and written, to him before the election and used security barricade to forcefully conduct the election.

“Even after reading my petitions by the Secretary General to NEC members which stated the high handedness, breach of the rules/ constitution, violation of the directive of NMA emergency NEC on the re-run of NMA Enugu state elections and evident surreptitious favoritism to my opponent, debate was not allowed on the allegations despite acknowledgement of irregularity in added voters and an unjust ruling was rammed down. Let it be known that there was no 100 resident doctors eligible to vote from ESUT Parklane as at May 2020 NMA National AGM.

“I consider all the proceedings a travesty of justice and therefore not satisfied with the NEC decision. I hereby convey my total rejection of the ruling in the case. This letter serves as a continuation of good faith and leave to seek legal redress,” it read.