Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and Ruzzen ("we," "us," "our," or "the Platform"), governing your access to and use of ruzzen.com, its subdomains, associated applications, APIs, and all related services (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing, browsing, or using our Services in any manner, you affirm that you are at least 16 years of age, that you have read and understood these Terms, and that you agree to be bound by them in their entirety. If you are using our Services on behalf of an organisation, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

If you do not agree with any provision of these Terms, you must immediately cease all use of our Services.

For the purposes of these Terms:

• "Content" means all text, data, images, graphics, analysis, predictions, scores, maps, charts, articles, and any other materials published on or through the Platform
• "User Content" means any content submitted by users, including prediction votes, Oracle questions, contact form messages, and newsletter subscriptions
• "Ruzzen Score" means our proprietary scoring system that rates political candidates on a scale of 0-100
• "The Oracle" means our Intelligence-powered political question-answering system
• "Electoral Data" means publicly available data sourced from INEC, government records, and verified public sources
• "Candidate Profile" means information pages about political candidates maintained on the Platform
• "Ruzzen Personnel" means all founders, directors, employees, contractors, agents, advisors, and affiliates of Ruzzen

Ruzzen is a political intelligence and data analytics platform. It is essential that all users understand the following:

• Ruzzen is NOT a news organisation, media house, or press outlet. We are a data and analytics platform
• Ruzzen is NOT a political party, campaign organisation, political action committee, or government entity
• Ruzzen is NOT an electoral body and has no official role in the conduct of elections
• Ruzzen does NOT endorse, support, oppose, or campaign for or against any candidate, party, or political position
• Ruzzen is a technology platform that aggregates publicly available political data, applies analytical models, and presents the results to the public

Our operations are lawful exercises of the rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), including but not limited to Sections 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40.

Ruzzen operates under and relies upon the following constitutional and statutory protections of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:

4.1 Constitutional Protections

• Section 36 — Right to Fair Hearing: Any legal proceedings against Ruzzen or its personnel must conform to the principles of fair hearing, including the right to be heard, the right to legal representation, and the presumption of lawful conduct
• Section 37 — Right to Private and Family Life: Ruzzen's internal operations, editorial processes, source identities, and analytical methodologies are protected private affairs not subject to arbitrary government intrusion
• Section 38 — Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion: The analytical opinions, predictions, and assessments published by Ruzzen are protected expressions of thought and conscience
• Section 39 — Right to Freedom of Expression and the Press: Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference. Ruzzen's publication of political data, analysis, and predictions constitutes a lawful exercise of this right
• Section 40 — Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association: Ruzzen's existence as an organised platform for political discourse is protected
• Section 22 — Obligation of Mass Media: While Ruzzen is not a mass media organisation, our work aligns with the constitutional obligation to hold the government accountable to the people

4.2 Statutory Framework

• Electoral Act 2022: Ruzzen publishes publicly available electoral data in compliance with the Electoral Act. We do not conduct elections, register voters, accredit candidates, or perform any function reserved for INEC under the Act
• Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA): All data processing activities comply with the NDPA and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). See our Privacy Policy for details
• Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015: Ruzzen does not engage in any activity prohibited under this Act. Publication of publicly available political data and analytical commentary is NOT a cybercrime
• Freedom of Information Act 2011: Ruzzen relies on publicly available data, including data obtainable under the Freedom of Information Act, in the exercise of the public's right to know

4.3 INEC & Electoral Data

Data published on Ruzzen relating to election results, voter statistics, candidate information, and constituency boundaries is sourced from publicly available records of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as established under Section 153 of the Constitution and governed by the Electoral Act 2022. This data is public information and its republication is a lawful exercise of the right to receive and impart information under Section 39 of the Constitution.

Ruzzen is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorised by INEC. Any INEC data presented on our platform is reproduced for informational and analytical purposes only.

By using our Services, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information when submitting forms or interacting with the Platform
• Use the Services only for lawful purposes consistent with these Terms
• Respect the intellectual property rights of Ruzzen and third parties
• Not attempt to circumvent security measures, rate limits, or access controls
• Not misrepresent your identity or affiliation when claiming a candidate profile
• Not use the Platform to spread misinformation, incite violence, or undermine the electoral process
• Not use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access the Services without our written permission

The following activities are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate termination of access, legal action, or referral to law enforcement:

• Manipulating prediction votes through automated means, VPN cycling, or coordinated inauthentic behaviour
• Submitting false candidate profile claims or impersonating political candidates
• Attempting to access, modify, or delete data belonging to other users or the Platform
• Using the Platform to plan, coordinate, or execute electoral fraud or voter suppression
• Launching denial-of-service attacks, injection attacks, or any form of cyberattack against our infrastructure
• Scraping, copying, or redistributing our proprietary content (including Ruzzen Scores, Intelligence-generated analysis, and prediction data) for commercial purposes without written authorisation
• Using our data to create competing products or services without written licence
• Submitting content that constitutes hate speech, incitement to violence, or threats against any person or group

7.1 Ruzzen's Intellectual Property

All Content published on the Platform, including but not limited to: the Ruzzen brand name, logo, visual design, source code, database structure, Ruzzen Score methodology, Intelligence-generated analysis, prediction models, data visualisations, maps, articles, and all other original works — are the exclusive intellectual property of Ruzzen and are protected under the Copyright Act (Cap C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004), the Trademarks Act (Cap T13), and applicable international intellectual property treaties.

7.2 Limited Licence

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use our Services for personal, non-commercial purposes. This licence does not include the right to:

• Reproduce, distribute, or publicly display our Content for commercial purposes
• Modify, adapt, or create derivative works from our Content
• Use our trademarks, logos, or brand assets without written permission
• Frame, mirror, or embed our Services on third-party websites without consent

7.3 Fair Use

Reasonable quotation of our Content for the purposes of commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, or education — with proper attribution to "Ruzzen (ruzzen.com)" — is permitted under fair dealing principles.

When you submit content to the Platform (prediction votes, Oracle questions, contact messages), you:

• Retain ownership of your original content
• Grant Ruzzen a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, aggregate, anonymise, and analyse such content for the purpose of improving our Services
• Warrant that your content does not infringe any third-party rights or violate any law
• Acknowledge that prediction votes are anonymised and aggregated — individual votes are not attributable to specific users

We reserve the right to remove any User Content that violates these Terms, applicable law, or our editorial standards, without notice.

Ruzzen uses artificial intelligence to generate political analysis, predictions, scores, and responses. By using these features, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Intelligence-generated content is produced by machine learning models and may contain errors, inaccuracies, or biases
• Prediction scores and win probabilities are statistical estimates based on historical data and algorithmic models — they are NOT guaranteed outcomes
• The Oracle provides Intelligence-generated responses that should NOT be treated as authoritative political advice, legal counsel, or factual reporting
• Ruzzen is not liable for any decisions, actions, or outcomes resulting from reliance on Intelligence-generated content
• Ruzzen predictions do not constitute election projections, exit polls, or official electoral data
• The Ruzzen Score is a proprietary metric. Its methodology is confidential and constitutes a trade secret

10.1 Public Figure Doctrine

Political candidates and holders of public office are public figures. Under Nigerian law and established legal principles, the publication of factual information about public figures in the context of their public duties, electoral campaigns, and political activities does not constitute defamation, invasion of privacy, or any other actionable tort, provided such information is:

• Based on publicly available data and verifiable sources
• Published in good faith and in the public interest
• Not motivated by malice or reckless disregard for the truth

10.2 Profile Claims

Political candidates may claim their profiles on Ruzzen to verify their identity and update their information. By claiming a profile, the candidate acknowledges that:

• Ruzzen retains editorial control over all Content, including candidate profiles
• Claiming a profile does not grant the candidate the right to remove or alter Intelligence-generated predictions, Ruzzen Scores, or analytical commentary
• Premium profile features are commercial services subject to separate terms and do not constitute editorial influence
• Ruzzen may publish information that the candidate considers unfavourable, provided it meets our editorial standards for accuracy and public interest

10.3 Data Correction Requests

Candidates and their representatives may request correction of factual errors on their profiles by contacting us at talk@ruzzen.com. We will review and respond to such requests within 14 business days. We reserve the right to reject corrections that we cannot independently verify.

Ruzzen publishes data sourced from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including but not limited to: historical election results, registered voter statistics, constituency boundaries, candidate lists, and polling unit data.

• This data is publicly available under the Constitution of Nigeria (Section 153, Third Schedule Part I, Paragraph F) and the Electoral Act 2022
• Ruzzen reproduces this data for informational and analytical purposes under the Freedom of Information Act 2011
• We make reasonable efforts to ensure accuracy but do not guarantee that all electoral data is current or error-free
• For official and authoritative electoral data, users should consult INEC directly at inecnigeria.org
• Ruzzen is not responsible for errors in source data obtained from INEC or other government agencies

Nothing on this Platform constitutes:

• A recommendation or endorsement to vote for any candidate or party
• Legal advice regarding electoral law, campaign finance, or political activities
• Financial advice regarding political donations or campaign investments
• Official electoral information — for official guidance, contact INEC

Users are solely responsible for their own voting decisions and political activities. Ruzzen provides data and analysis — not directives.

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, RELIABILITY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

RUZZEN DOES NOT WARRANT THAT:

• The Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• The Content, including Intelligence-generated predictions, will be accurate or reliable
• Any particular election outcome will match our predictions
• The Services will meet your specific requirements or expectations

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY NIGERIAN LAW:

• Ruzzen, its founders, directors, employees, contractors, agents, and affiliates shall NOT be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of the Services
• This includes but is not limited to: damages for loss of profits, goodwill, data, or other intangible losses, even if Ruzzen has been advised of the possibility of such damages
• Ruzzen is NOT liable for any political, electoral, financial, or personal consequences resulting from reliance on our Content, predictions, or analysis
• In no event shall Ruzzen's total aggregate liability exceed the amount paid by you (if any) for access to premium services in the 12 months preceding the claim, or Ten Thousand Naira (NGN 10,000), whichever is less

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Ruzzen and all Ruzzen Personnel from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

• Your use of or access to the Services
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Your infringement of any third-party right
• Any content you submit to the Platform
• Any claim by a third party arising from your use of our Services

Ruzzen asserts the following protections for its operations, data, and personnel:

• Publication of publicly available political data, predictions, and analytical commentary is a constitutionally protected activity under Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution. No government agency, security service, or public official has the authority to prohibit, restrict, or punish such publication without a valid court order
• Any attempt to shut down, block, seize, or restrict access to the Ruzzen platform without a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction constitutes a violation of our constitutional rights and will be challenged through all available legal channels, including applications to the Federal High Court and appeals to the Court of Appeal
• The arrest, detention, questioning, or harassment of Ruzzen Personnel in connection with the lawful operation of this Platform constitutes a violation of Sections 35, 36, and 39 of the Constitution and may give rise to claims for damages under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules
• Ruzzen's servers, databases, source code, editorial communications, and analytical methodologies are protected private property. Access to or seizure of these assets requires a specific, judicially authorised warrant. Blanket or exploratory warrants will be challenged
• Ruzzen will not voluntarily provide user data, source information, editorial communications, or analytical methodologies to any government agency except as compelled by a valid court order. This is consistent with the journalist's privilege recognised under Nigerian law and the right to privacy under Section 37 of the Constitution

Notice to Government Actors: Ruzzen is a lawful technology platform that serves the public interest by democratising access to political information. We operate within the bounds of Nigerian law and assert our constitutional rights fully. Any adverse action against this platform or its personnel will be met with vigorous legal defence, public disclosure (where legally permitted), and engagement of international press freedom organisations.

Ruzzen takes the safety and legal protection of its team seriously. The following provisions apply:

• Individual Immunity: No individual Ruzzen Personnel member shall be personally liable for Content published on the Platform in the course of their duties. The Platform assumes editorial responsibility for all published Content
• Legal Representation: Ruzzen will provide legal representation to any Ruzzen Personnel member who faces legal proceedings arising from the lawful performance of their duties on behalf of the Platform
• Anti-Retaliation: Users and third parties are prohibited from using information obtained from this Platform to identify, target, threaten, or retaliate against Ruzzen Personnel. Such conduct may be reported to law enforcement and will result in permanent ban from the Platform
• Source Protection: Ruzzen will not disclose the identity of any source, contributor, or team member except as compelled by a valid court order from a court of competent jurisdiction
• Whistleblower Protection: Any Ruzzen Personnel member who reports illegal activity, corruption, or unethical conduct by government officials or political actors through the Platform is protected under the Whistleblower Protection Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria and applicable international frameworks

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or content. Ruzzen does not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for any third-party content. Your use of third-party services is governed by their respective terms and policies.

By subscribing to "The Ruzzen Brief" newsletter:

• You consent to receive periodic email communications containing political analysis, predictions, and platform updates
• You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us
• We will not share your email address with third parties for marketing purposes
• Newsletter content is subject to the same disclaimers as all other Platform Content

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. Grounds for termination include but are not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms
• Engagement in prohibited conduct (Section 6)
• Automated or abusive use of the Services
• Court order or regulatory requirement

Upon termination, your right to use the Services ceases immediately. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, and 22) shall survive.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Any dispute arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria or the High Court of Lagos State, as appropriate.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Ruzzen reserves the right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property rights, the safety of its personnel, or the integrity of its Services.

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, the parties agree to attempt resolution through the following process:

• Step 1 — Direct Negotiation: The complaining party shall send a written notice to the other party describing the dispute in detail. The parties shall attempt to resolve the dispute through good-faith negotiation within 30 days
• Step 2 — Mediation: If negotiation fails, the parties shall submit the dispute to mediation under the rules of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) or another mutually agreed mediation body
• Step 3 — Litigation: If mediation fails, either party may initiate proceedings in the courts specified in Section 21

This dispute resolution clause does not apply to: (a) applications for injunctive relief; (b) intellectual property disputes; or (c) claims arising from threats to the physical safety of Ruzzen Personnel.

If any provision of these Terms is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its original intent.

Ruzzen shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government actions, internet outages, power failures, pandemic, or acts of God.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through: (a) a notice on our homepage for at least 7 days; (b) an updated "Last Updated" date; and (c) notification to newsletter subscribers for significant changes. Continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Ruzzen regarding your use of the Services. These Terms supersede all prior agreements, communications, and understandings, whether written or oral, regarding the subject matter herein.

For legal inquiries, service of process, or questions about these Terms:

Legal: talk@ruzzen.com
Privacy: talk@ruzzen.com
General: talk@ruzzen.com
Website: https://ruzzen.com/contact