Guber poll: Sanwo-Olu aide meets groups, pledges to tackle complaints
The Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat Independent Campaign Council (ICC) engaged the People Living with Disabilities (PLWD) and Arewa communities on Wednesday ahead of the next Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The engagement, which brought out members of the Arewa group in Ikeja, the Arewa Christian Community in Lagos, and the PLWD in large numbers, was held at the ICC Secretariat in Ikeja GRA.
Addressing the groups, Tayo Ayinde, the Director General, ICC, appealed to them to vote en masse for the re-election of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat as well as other APC candidates on Saturday.
Ayinde, who is the Chief of Staff to Sanwo-Olu, said that the council was glad to receive the groups, assuring them that the governor would address all their complaints and teething challenges.
Read also: Why INEC postponed Governorship, State Houses of Assembly polls
Court refuses Obi’s prayer to scan election materials
The Appeal Court in Abuja on Wednesday refused to grant Peter Obi’s application to scan and make copies of the election materials from INEC‘s database.
The three-member panel held that granting the order sought by obi will hamper the elections slated for Saturday.
The Justice Joseph Ikyegh-led panel faulted Obi and the Labour Party (LP) for repeating their request to be allowed to scan and make copies of the electoral materials in INEC’s possession.
The court held that granting the order would amount to tying down the hands of the electoral body and preventing it from carrying out the functions assigned to it by the 1999 constitution.
The court ordered INEC on March 3 to allow the applicants to inspect and carry out a digital forensic examination of all the electoral materials used in the conduct of the elections. (NAN)
Abaribe advocates full electronic voting to enthrone credible elections
Having won the Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on Wednesday called for the use of electronic voting in the country in order to enthrone transparent and credible elections.
Abaribe, who would be representing the district for the sixth time, spoke of his victory and the challenges that characterised the electoral process.
The senator who will be representing the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) spoke to reporters in his Obingwa country home on Thursday.
He said: “I am one of those who believed that the process of the elections was flawed. But I call for calm and peace, and people should resort to legal means to redress the error.
“It is such a bloody shame that INEC will manipulate the scores by candidates.” It happens because the result sheets are in the hands of INEC officials.
“We should introduce full electronic voting that is tamper-proof. It is possible. We are in the electronic age. It is time we adapted to modern technology. We cannot continue to play with our existence.”
ECA calls for increased representation of women in science, technology
Antonio Pedro, the acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), has on behalf of the organization called for an increase in women and girls’ representation in science and technology.
Pedro made this appeal on Wednesday to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
He stated this on the commission’s website on Wednesday.
Pedro said, “This year’s theme stresses the need for technology and innovation to advance gender equality. Technology can expand pathways to education and opportunities for women and girls. But it can also be used to amplify abuse and hatred.
“Today, women make up under a third of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and maths. And when women are under-represented in developing new technologies, discrimination may be baked in from the start.
“That is why we must close the digital divide and increase the representation of women and girls in science and technology.”
US digital asset fund, venture capital firm to raise $100 million for two new blockchain funds
Alpha Sigma Capital, a U.S.-based digital asset fund, and Transform Ventures, a venture capital firm, will raise $100 million for two new funds focused on the blockchain and so-called decentralized Web 3.0 ventures, Alpha Sigma founder and Chief Executive Officer Enzo Villani said on Wednesday.
Transform Ventures, founded by crypto investor Michael Terpin, also merged some of its assets with Alpha Sigma’s parent to form a new holding company called Alpha Transform Holdings. The latter will oversee the two new funds.
Terpin in 2019 won $75.8 million in a civil judgment against Nicholas Truglia, who was 21 years old at the time and part of a scheme that defrauded Terpin of digital currencies, according to court documents. Truglia along with other participants stole 3 million tokens from Terpin’s cellphone account in early 2018. (Reuters)
