Senate Committee Rejects INEC Hospital Proposal, Advises Commission to Focus on Primary Assignment not Treatment of Diseases
A mild drama unfolded at the National Assembly on Thursday as the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters rejected a proposal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish a hospital for the commission.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, had appeared before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee to defend the commission’s proposed N873.78 billion budget for the 2027 general elections when the issue was raised.
Leading the opposition to the hospital proposal, Senator Adams Oshiomhole argued that running a hospital was outside the core mandate of the electoral body.
He maintained that even the existing INEC clinic was a distraction from the commission’s primary responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
Oshiomhole suggested that, if possible, the commission should consider scrapping the clinic entirely and focus strictly on its constitutional duties.
Despite the disagreement, Prof. Amupitan proceeded to present details of the proposed 2027 election budget, noting that preparations for the polls had already commenced. He stressed that electoral laws require election funds to be approved at least 360 days before the exercise.
“Early appropriation is necessary to guarantee adequate planning and seamless execution of the elections,” he told lawmakers.
A breakdown of the proposal shows that N375.75 billion is allocated for election operations, N92.31 billion for administrative costs, and N209.21 billion for election technology. Capital expenditure is projected at N154.90 billion, while N41.61 billion is set aside for other related expenses, bringing the total to N873.78 billion.
The INEC chairman explained that the higher capital allocation compared to previous election budgets reflects the consolidation of several items not fully captured in earlier proposals.
The committee is expected to continue its review of the budget in the coming days.
Senate Committee Rejects INEC Hospital Proposal, Advises Commission to Focus on Primary Assignment not Treatment of Diseases
Byadmin
Feb 12, 2026