Yesterday, I visited an office in Asokoro, Abuja. I overheard a respected senior citizen who happens to be the boss in that office while having a conversation with some of his staff and colleagues, asking the colleagues and his staff to vote for a particular candidate in this coming election. He promised that any of the staff that voted for his choice candidate will get a cash reward and other gifts from him.

This is not surprising, we have seen or heard senior staff in private and government-owned organizations mandating their workers or colleagues to vote for a particular candidate during an election and some of the Ogas that want to be kind and generous will even promise pecuniary benefits for those that voted for the chosen candidate during the election.

I can predict that this could be happening in your organization at the moment.

This action of cajoling, forcing, harassing or inducing individuals to vote for a particular candidate may seem harmless but it is electoral malpractice that is punishable with at least two years of jail term.  It is called vote buying and inducement of voters which our laws prohibited.

Section 22 of the electoral act of 2022 succinctly provides that any person who buys, induces or sells a vote during election shall be fined N500,000 and or jailed for not less than two years.

For elections to be free and fair in Nigeria, voters should be allowed to form a free and uninfluenced opinion of their own, they should never be forced to vote for any other candidates other than their choice candidates and that is why it is democracy.

You are permitted to persuade voters and make them see reasons with you on why they should vote for your choice candidates but anything other than subtle persuasion like cajoling or coercing or promising of pecuniary benefits for votes becomes a crime which we should never allow to thrive in our democracy. Voters should be allowed to vote for their own choice of candidates; they should be allowed to form their own opinion on who to vote for and should not be influenced or cajoled by another party.

A boss in an organization paying his staff to vote for a particular candidate has committed the electoral crime of vote buying; the staff that is accepting payments or gifts to vote for a particular candidate have as well committed the electoral crime of vote selling. A boss cajoling or inducing staff or friends by any means whatsoever to vote for a particular candidate is committing a prosecutable electoral crime. Promising a voter gift or money to vote for a particular candidate amounts to vote buying and selling which is prohibited in our electoral laws.

When next your boss or colleague is cajoling you, mandating you, harassing you, or inducing you by any means whatsoever to vote for a particular candidate who may or may not be your own choice candidate with a promise to pay you or gift you, kindly draw his attention to the fact that action amounts to electoral crime which is prosecutable with at least two years of jail term.

With just a few days until the general elections, we still pray and hope for a free and fair election; free from vote buying, violence, intimidation and harassment. Yes, it is possible.

The National University Commission (NUC) has announced a 21-day holiday window for students who wish to vote in the forthcoming elections.

In a circular addressed to all vice-chancellors of all universities and directors of inter-university centers, the Commission ordered the closure of all universities from February 22 to March 14.

The NUC said the directive was issued by the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu following consultation with security agencies.

“As Vice-Chancellors of all Universities and Director/Chief Executive of Inter-University Centres are quite aware the 2023 General Elections have been scheduled to hold on Saturday 25th February 2023, for the Presidential and National Assembly, and Saturday 1st March 2023 for Gubernatorial and State Assembly, respectively.

“In view of the foregoing and concerns expressed on the security of staff, students and properties of the our respective institutions, the Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adama Adamu has, following extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, directed that all Universities and Inter-University Centres be shut down and academic activities be suspended between 22-* February and 14th March, 2023.

“Consequently, Vice-Chancellors and chief executives of inter -university centers, are by this Circular requested to shut down their respective Institutions from Wednesday 22nd February 2023 to Tuesday 14th March 2023.

“Please, accept the renewed assurances of the Executive Secretary’s highest regards for your understanding and unwavering cooperation”, a circular shared by the NUC said.

What becomes of the 26 million students registered to vote outside their school areas has been a subject of discussion for weeks now. Earlier in January, Nigerian singer Paul Okoye (Rudeboy) had questioned why Nigerian students would remain in schools during the election period.

Out of the 74million youths eligible voters , 26million of them are students and they are all back in school, most of them registered during the Asuu strike .. it’s 10days remaining for collection ????? @inecnigeria why are students still in school by now ? ?????

— Rudeboy (@rudeboypsquare) January 19, 2023

That ignited calls for the suspension of academic activities in tertiary institutions across the country until the conclusion of the elections.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had also in January, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to temporarily shut down all tertiary institutions until after the February 25 and March 11 elections.

“The office of the NANS vice president (external affairs) calls on the federal government of Nigeria to immediately close all tertiary institutions temporarily to afford students the opportunity to collect their PVCs from their local government Areas and vote in the forthcoming elections,” NANS vice-president Akinteye Babatunde stated.

With this directive, it is expected that the 26 million students registered to vote across the country will participate in the forthcoming elections.

Cryptocurrency is digital cash that prevents counterfeiting and double spending through special encryption. Most digital currencies rely on blockchain technology, essentially a distributed ledger monitored by several computers. Cryptocurrencies are not governed by any other body which distinguishes them from other currencies. Follow these interesting facts about cryptocurrencies to learn more.

1. Cryptocurrencies Use Cryptography for Security

Cryptography principles are built for virtual currencies. The use of cryptography in cryptocurrency transactions makes them untraceable. This means neither side needs to reveal personal information to the other or rely on a trusted third party like a bank, credit card Company, government, or other financial institution. Crypto sites offer these platforms where you may buy assets without the involvement of a third-party institution. As you explore how cryptocurrencies work and read Crypto.com reviews, you will find that these platforms offer low fees when buying these digital assets, and the whole process happens on the platform without the bank’s interference. Your computer and the networks connected to it are continually encrypting and decrypting data, from the Google queries you perform to the emails you send. Cryptocurrencies employ public and private keys as a method of cryptography encryption.

2. Prices of Cryptocurrency are Extremely Volatile

Bitcoin’s supply and demand, investor and user sentiment, government regulation, and media hype play a role in its ever-changing price. These elements produce price fluctuations. It is difficult to keep up with cryptocurrency news without hearing an investor’s or fan’s prediction for Bitcoin’s future price. The future of the cryptocurrency’s price is impossible to predict. Bitcoin is purchased through regulated cryptocurrency exchanges. Some crypto coins’ prices are extremely volatile such as Bitcoin, but is a good option to grow your wealth.

3. Bitcoin is the Most Popular Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin mining is a digital operation that involves sophisticated hardware. Mining is shorthand for verifying and adding transactions to a public ledger known as the blockchain. A miner receives 6.25 BTC for adding a block of transactions to the network. That sum’s purchasing power in dollars varies with the price of Bitcoin. Bitcoin mining may appear complex initially, but it’s rather simple if you learn how the system works. The mining process boils down to a guessing game, with miners attempting to correctly predict a 64-digit hash. The term hash mining is used to describe this process, miners utilize high-powered computers to rapidly create guesses to predict the hash.

4. Ethereum is More Than a Coin

Ethereum is more than just a cryptocurrency. It is used to carry out smart contracts, which formalize the conditions of an agreement between a buyer and seller. The program code is distributed throughout the blockchain network. In a decentralized blockchain system, the code and the agreements it contains are spread out. The code decides how things get done, and all transactions are viewed and cannot be undone. Smart contracts eliminate the need for intermediary third parties like banks or governments to enforce agreements and conduct business between unrelated parties. Blockchain technology is commonly associated with bitcoin, but its applications extend far beyond that digital currency.

5. The Smallest Bitcoins Account Is 0.00000001 BTC.

One micro bitcoin or 0.000001 BTC is equal to one-millionth of a bitcoin. The Lightning Network supports transactions with a unit even smaller than the satoshi. However, the million satoshis, one thousandth the size of a satoshi, is not useable on the Bitcoin network. When dealing with very little bitcoin, using terminologies like satoshis or other small units allows users to avoid writing out strings of zeros. Despite the asset’s significant volatility, it is not recognized as an acceptable medium of exchange. Hence bitcoins must be divided into fractions to enable micro-transactions such as buying a coffee. Since the value of a single bitcoin increased to thousands of dollars, Satoshis has become a necessity. It also implies that potential investors don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars to get a single bitcoin. New tokens are generated every 10 minutes, but they will eventually be measured in satoshis rather than bitcoin because the block reward halves roughly every four years.

6. You Will Need a Crypto Wallet and a Crypto Buying Site To Purchase Cryptos

To send and receive cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, crypto wallets store and protect the private keys that serve as the passwords to your digital assets. Cryptocurrency may be stored and transferred in a wallet like a credit card is used online. Many different wallet options are available, from hardware wallets like Ledger to smartphone apps. Although they are sometimes used interchangeably, crypto wallets technically do not store your cryptocurrency. Your assets are stored in the blockchain, but you need a private key to get to them. You can’t make purchases or transfers using digital currency unless you have the corresponding keys. Private keys are the only way to access your funds. Therefore keep them safe at all costs. You must safeguard your hardware wallet or use a reputable wallet service.

7. Bitcoin has been in use Since 2009

Satoshi Nakamoto created the cryptocurrency in 2008. When the code for creating the currency was made publicly available in 2009, its use spread. Bitcoin is a combination of bit and coin. Several global economies have approved of Bitcoin, while others have prohibited it. A select few governments have made use of bitcoin. It’s important to consider Bitcoin’s effect on the environment. Its proof of work method makes bitcoin mining computationally challenging, necessitating ever-increasing amounts of electricity, the production of which contributes to climate change.

8. Blockchain Powers Cryptocurrencies

Blockchain technology records information that cannot be changed by unauthorized parties. A blockchain is a shared digital ledger that records and broadcasts all transaction confirmations to all nodes in a distributed network. Blockchain technology is a data format that keeps and distributes a public ledger of transactions in a series of linked databases called blocks and chains in a distributed, decentralized, and peer-to-peer network. The digital signature of the Ledger’s owner authenticates and protects each transaction by preventing their alteration after they have been recorded. As a result, the data stored in the digital Ledger is safe from prying eyes.

Cryptocurrency is a new technology that is being embraced in the modern world. Different currencies exist, with the main ones being Bitcoin and Ethereum. Many countries have embraced crypto coins, while others have banned them. You may need to invest in cryptocurrencies but first, learn the basics because the prices are volatile.