News

‘Early party primaries will reduce election litigation’ – INEC

Published

42 minutes ago

July 28, 2026

Preport

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has called for an amendment to the Electoral Act to require political parties to conclude their primary elections at least one year before general elections.

Amupitan said the proposal would give political parties sufficient time to resolve disputes arising from candidate nominations, thereby reducing election-related litigation.

According to a statement posted on INEC’s X handle on Tuesday, Amupitan made the call while delivering a keynote address at the public presentation of Shadows: Protest Essays on Africa’s Most Consequential Country (1999–2023) in Abuja.

He explained that resolving party primary disputes well before elections would allow the electoral commission to focus on its constitutional responsibility of conducting credible polls rather than addressing conflicts originating from political parties.

According to Amupitan, most election-related litigation stems from disagreements over party primaries rather than issues arising during elections themselves.

“Most election-related legal disputes begin long before Nigerians cast their votes. If political parties conclude their primaries early and conduct them in a transparent, credible and inclusive manner, it will go a long way in reducing unnecessary litigation,” Amupitan said.

He said political parties could only strengthen Nigeria’s democracy by respecting their constitutions, adhering to their rules and providing members with a genuine opportunity to choose candidates.

Amupitan warned that the imposition of candidates, lack of transparency during party primaries and disregard for party guidelines had continued to fuel avoidable pre-election court cases, weaken public confidence and undermine the country’s electoral process.

“Strengthening internal democracy within political parties is as important as strengthening the nation’s electoral institutions,” he said.

He added that credible elections begin with credible candidate selection.

Amupitan also called for constitutional and electoral reforms to grant INEC greater financial autonomy to effectively discharge its responsibilities.

He noted that although the Constitution places INEC’s funding on the first-line charge, the commission still operates under the annual budget system, which limits its operational efficiency.

To address the challenge, he proposed that INEC’s funding should come directly from the Federation Account, enabling the commission to conduct voter registration, regulate political parties and organise elections without unnecessary administrative delays.

Business

PenCom, PenOp Spotlight PCRS Successes, Challenges, and Strategic Future at 1-Year Anniversary

Published

21 minutes ago

July 28, 2026

Preport

BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, has stressed the need for sustained collaboration among regulators, pension operators, employers, technology providers, payment solution partners, and other stakeholders to drive the continued growth and transformation of Nigeria’s pension industry.

Speaking at the first anniversary of the Pension Contribution Remittance System (PCRS) and Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) Framework, the PenCom DG stated that the progress recorded since the implementation of the initiative demonstrates the power of collective efforts and partnerships in achieving institutional transformation.

She noted that the successful implementation of the PCRS required extensive collaboration across stakeholder engagement, system development, testing, integration, and capacity building. According to her, the achievement was not the result of any single organisation, but a reflection of the commitment of the entire pension ecosystem, including PenCom, the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs), the 11 PSSP partners, employers, and other supporting organisations.

The DG emphasised that collaboration would remain critical as the industry continues its digital transformation journey. She affirmed that PenCom would continue to work with stakeholders to improve operational efficiency, strengthen pension administration, and enhance service delivery through technology, while ensuring that the industry responds effectively to the changing expectations of contributors and employers.

She also identified cybersecurity, data protection, and data integrity as key priorities, stressing that the increasing reliance on digital platforms makes it essential to protect contributors’ information and maintain the integrity of pension systems. Consequently, she urged stakeholders to uphold robust cybersecurity standards and risk management practices.

Looking ahead, she called for deeper adoption and compliance with the PCRS framework, continuous innovation, and stronger cooperation across the pension ecosystem. She added that improved remittance infrastructure would also support the Commission’s broader objective of expanding pension coverage and making participation in the Contributory Pension Scheme easier, more transparent, and attractive to more Nigerians.

Describing the PCRS and PSSP Framework as important milestones in the modernisation of Nigeria’s pension industry, she urged stakeholders to build on the achievements of the first year. She stated that the future of the industry would depend on the ability of all stakeholders to remain united in pursuing innovation, integrity, excellence, and improved retirement security for Nigerian workers.

She commended PenOp, PSSPs, PFAs, PFCs, employers, and all stakeholders whose commitment, innovation, and collaboration contributed to the celebrated milestones, noting that these achievements demonstrate what is possible when regulatory leadership, industry expertise, and technology-driven solutions converge around a shared vision.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the President of PenOp, Donald Onuoha, stated that one year after the introduction of PCRS, the initiative has recorded measurable progress. This includes the integration of Payment Solution Service Providers under a regulatory and operational framework, industry-wide audits, and ongoing efforts to identify and close gaps in the remittance process.

He acknowledged, however, that the implementation has faced challenges, including settlement failures, delays in transferring funds, incorrect payment details, and issues with contribution schedule formats.

He applauded PenCom for its oversight and support, while also appreciating employers, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), and Payment Solution Service Providers for their roles in the new system.

On the way forward, Onuoha urged PCRS stakeholders to focus on consolidation, stronger accountability, increased coverage, and expanding the system to reach more employers and contributors. He highlighted that managing over ₦30 trillion in assets for millions of Nigerians carries a significant public trust, making efficient service delivery and the protection of contributors’ funds a shared responsibility.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of PenOp, Anthonia Ifeanyi Okoro, stated that the event served to celebrate the success story of the PCRS and recognise the contributions of key stakeholders who helped make the system operational.

She explained that the occasion offered an opportunity to celebrate achievements, share success stories, discuss challenges encountered and overcome during the first year, and set a clear direction for the future.

She emphasised that the continued collaboration of all stakeholders will remain crucial in leveraging the system to transform and strengthen Nigeria’s pension industry.

The post PenCom, PenOp Spotlight PCRS Successes, Challenges, and Strategic Future at 1-Year Anniversary appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

MCP startup Runlayer accuses Rippling of stealing its product idea

Published

22 minutes ago

July 28, 2026

Preport

Runlayer, a startup that offers a secure Model Context Protocol gateway — a standard for letting AI models and agents securely pull in outside data and tools — has filed a lawsuit against HR software startup Rippling, according to the complaint seen by TechCrunch.

The lawsuit is a cautionary tale for anyone selling AI infrastructure to enterprise customers, especially to other tech companies, that increasingly have the engineering muscle to just build the thing themselves.

In the suit, Runlayer describes an extensive product trial conducted by Rippling as a prospective customer, during which the MCP startup shared everything from its product roadmap to its actual source code. The parties signed a mutual non-disclosure agreement and Rippling signed a product trial agreement with a clause that forbade it from copying Runlayer’s intellectual property or making derivative works, which is standard boilerplate in enterprise software trials.

Runlayer says in the complaint that Rippling’s evaluation involved “nearly a year of intensive engineering collaboration.” But in the end, the two could not agree on a price, so Runlayer ended the product trial.

Shortly after that, Runlayer alleges that a “Rippling insider” texted Runlayer founder and CEO Andrew Berman to inform him of “a project internally to build essentially a clone o[f] Runlayer … it’s almost a 1 to 1 copy of Runlayer.”

Runlayer claims in the suit that Rippling’s product must have been based on the startup’s intellectual property and therefore constitutes trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition and breach of contract.

Rippling has confirmed to TechCrunch that it is indeed launching its own MCP gateway, though a spokesperson denies Runlayer’s allegations about misusing its IP.

“Runlayer’s panicked effort to avoid competition by fabricating claims is not an effective way to deal with its business failures. Rippling is launching a superior product for connecting AI tools to business data using only our proprietary information – we have every reason to win in this market,” a Rippling spokespeson tells TechCrunch.

Runlayer has retained white-shoe law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. That doesn’t mean Runlayer will, or even should, win this suit, but the same way a marquee VC lends a startup some credibility, a marquee law firm lends a lawsuit some credibility, at least optically.

The more interesting part about this suit is really the inside peek it provides at the trials and tribulations of selling complex AI infrastructure into the enterprise, particularly to other tech companies. Enterprise sales notoriously take a long time to close, often because they hinge on this kind of deep, hands-on trial.

MCP gateways in particular are getting crowded. Anthropic launched MCP as an open-source protocol in November 2024. It’s now one of the basic building blocks of AI interoperability, giving models and agents a secure way to access external data sources and services. MCP gateway products add control, security and other features, especially for managing agents, and the field has grown considerably more competitive since Runlayer launched its product in the middle of last year and raised a total of $42 million, including from Khosla Ventures and Felicis.

Even after an intense trial, an enterprise may simply opt to build the tool in-house. Both sides are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

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