The leadership crisis rocking the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) extends far beyond a dispute over a property in Abuja, according to Sydney Sparrow, the association’s acting national president. Sparrow asserts that the deepening internal conflict is primarily a result of severe breaches of PMAN’s constitution, overshadowing the organization’s core mission.
Sparrow detailed in an interview with ARISE NEWS that the association’s fundamental objectives of regulating the music industry and ensuring musicians’ welfare have been sidelined. Instead, he stated, the focus has become fixated on land matters, while critical constitutional procedures for leadership and accountability have been repeatedly disregarded.
The crisis reportedly intensified following actions by the immediate past president, Pretty Okafor, who Sparrow described as a “suspended president.” Okafor was elected at the National Delegate Conference on October 24, 2023, but Sparrow claims that constitutional violations commenced shortly thereafter.
Sparrow emphasized that while the National Delegate Conference is the highest body, it convenes only once every four years, making the National Executive Council (NEC) the statutory governing body. The constitution mandates that the National Working Committee (NWC) must report all its activities to the NEC and secure ratification for any suspensions.
He further alleged that Okafor was abroad in Spain when his own NWC announced his suspension in August 2024, an action Sparrow deemed unconstitutional. The NEC subsequently nullified this suspension, meaning Okafor remained president at that time, Sparrow explained.
The acting president accused Okafor of marginalizing elected officials who held dissenting views. Sparrow cited instances where the PMAN Governor of Kano State and the elected National Treasurer were allegedly removed from NEC platforms without adhering to due process.
In response to these alleged constitutional overreaches, the NEC exercised its powers to suspend three NWC members for 12 months. This created vacancies that necessitated a Special National Delegate Conference, initially agreed to be held in October 2025 to fill the vacant seats and mark Okafor’s two-year tenure.
However, Sparrow claims Okafor began to evade the planned conference. The situation reportedly escalated when Okafor allegedly made unilateral appointments, including a first vice president, second vice president, and an ex-officio, without NEC approval, while concurrently removing the elected National Treasurer.
Addressing the land dispute, Sparrow clarified that the issue predates the current leadership and was discussed during the 2023 delegate conference. Initial reports suggested a 60-40 joint venture agreement, with 40% allocated to PMAN.
Concerns arose when NEC members reviewed the joint venture document, revealing that 10% of PMAN’s 40% share was designated for a “technical company” belonging to the landowner. Sparrow questioned the legitimacy of this arrangement, as the technical company’s name was not specified in the agreement.
Sparrow stated that repeated requests for NEC meetings to discuss these concerns were ignored by the president. This prompted members to invoke constitutional provisions for an emergency meeting, during which Sparrow was appointed Acting National President.
As the acting national president, Sydney Sparrow insists that the focus must shift back to the constitutional integrity and core mandate of PMAN, rather than being consumed by property-related disputes and unconstitutional leadership practices.
