 Welcome back to the breakfast and plus TV Africa time for Off the Press and we also have and stand by Upanabok and Kutaira who joins the conversation to make sense of some of the big stories. I'd like to start off with the leadership newspaper and as always the focus would be on the top stories. Looking at the banner caption, 398 days to go, pressure mounts on President Mohammed Nass, the past electoral bill. Governors not afraid of direct primaries, Suley is quoted, that's a rider, the people should have power to choose, that's what Reps is quoted to say. Nigerians need new laws before polls, Jaga is quoted, expunge direct primaries clause, I park is also saying and provisions in new bill are pro people, NB is also quoted. There's quite an APC over fresh plot to extend convention date beyond February and ousted Malian President Kayeta dies at 76, PDP Governors meet on zoning in rivers, groups unveil impacts assessment on vice-president Yamil Sivendro, this is some of the headlines on the leadership newspaper. We'll stretch with the daily independent with the stories, the lead headline there, CBN may tighten monetary policy to halt reserves depletion, it will strengthen Naira and attract foreign investment analysts, Nass turning Nigeria's democracy into plutocracy, Jaga that's a former national chairman there, Buhari orders major military operation to wipe out bandits, invade Kaduna village, government abduct 15 persons in Niger community that can be found on page 6 of the daily independent, now the story on the front page of the daily independent, 2.4 billion Naira judgment debt, Supreme Court restores GTB's appeal against innocent motors that can be found on page 7 of the daily independent, stakeholders query 35 top appointments in evasion agency's ministry, they say they smack off injustice may unsettle sector. Other stories on the daily independent very quickly before we move to the next paper, NDA intercepts 1.5 million tramadol tablets going to Kebih Kano on page 29, Ibrahim Buba Kayeta ousted Mali president dies at 76, that seems to have stories on other papers, a lot of other papers today, Oshun Guba 2022, while Reba Shola or Yatola's reconciliation failed, Reba Shola demanded return to single uniform or Yatola's faction, Yatola's faction wicked untruthful, but I think that's coming from someone in the other faction. With PIA NNPC will end more revenue for Nigeria, this coming from Amidkari of the NNPC, there's a stories on the front page of the daily independent. Away from the daily independent, we check out the nation newspaper this morning, the board caption says, BUNI APC chiefs in crucial Palais on zoning convention, underneath PDP, nobody can stampede us on presidential ticket, opposition governor's meet, and United Kingdom's craps test for unvaccinated travelers from January 26, Jaguar Edge is national assembly to drop direct primary class and state to share 750 million dollars for fiscal transparency, Buhari renews crackdown on bandits, ordered to military, quite interesting, and president rides Niger government on directive to defend headquarters, gunmen on bikes, Saqqaduna village, and you also have Bola Ahmed Tunubu, hopeful to end insecurity, these are some of the headlines on the nation newspaper this morning. Let's go straight to the punch newspaper next and with these leading headline in the punch newspaper, fuel subsidy crisis, state's kick as NNPC continues deductions, FAC meets Wednesday, deductions not justifiable says Delta, it's injustice against the security commissioner, state's federal government may clash, subsidy not under our control says NNPC, it's interesting to see how things will pan out in the coming days, more stories from the front page of the punch newspaper and the LEA intercepts Kebi Kanu, a bound 1.5 million tramadol seizes Ligas Port's drugs, ocean prison inmates wife gives birth to triplets, family seeks help, PDP governors meet, decide on 2023 zoning to advice national working committee, very interesting story there, Nnam de Kanu, south east goes governors, Ibo leaders to meet Buhari, insist on political solution, electoral bill takes front burners, national assembly resumes on Tuesday after quite a long recess, Nigeria's debt stock hits 39.6 trillion naira in 11 months according to reports and another one from the front page of the punch newspaper, insurance firms assets hit 2.09 trillion naira amidst recapitalization suspension. We have Uppunabong Kotaria who joins the conversation now, it's good to have you join us this morning. Good morning Matthew, good morning Kofi, and good morning viewers. So let's start off with the leadership newspaper and the banner caption on the leadership talks about the pressure that's mounted on the president as well as the national assembly to pass the electoral bill. Is there possibility that that's going to happen before the 2023 election, understanding the fact that we need at least one year before Aina can actually act? I impute that possibility because I've been issued, if you remember I've been on this program, I stated my doubts, I knew that Mr. President was not going to send to that bill, but I foreshadowed it, let me put it that way because I didn't have a discussion with him, so let me just say foreshadowed, not that I knew, that I wasn't going to sign that, the issue of the direct primaries was only a strategy, it was just an excuse, otherwise all Mr. President would have done like he did with the PID was just points that and a bit back to the national assembly to address why we would have sent it to the other aspects of the bill, but I knew Mr. President was not going to have sent to that bill, so it didn't come as a surprise to us when he sent it back to the national assembly on the special reason of direct primaries. Now if you say, so it goes on the national assembly right now, as we speak, to walk on that and send back to the president, but I think when they went on recess, if you remember I also said on this right program, that that recess was for them to go back and we need to see to go back and agree on how best to go about it, otherwise when you have such a crucial issue there was no sense in the national assembly going on recess without addressing it, but they did because they were wanted to resolve the quagmire between the federal government and the national assembly, executive and the national assembly. So in terms of my there, I strongly believe, I have that conviction that just as in 2019 Mr. President is not willing to sign that bill into law, we might end up using the old electoral. But let me quickly say, we have to decipher the reasonableness in that because everything said the direct primaries, which more or less was hoisted on political parties, everything in that bill is in the interest of Nigeria, I will Mr. Kottaro, let me be fair to say that that issue of direct primaries or the provision in the bill, the clause was foisted on political parties bearing in mind for instance in the front page of this newspaper that the House of Reps members are saying that the people should decide and the members of the National Assembly are the representatives of the people who are there to make laws on the behalf of the Nigerian people. Is it fair to say that they are foisting this clause on the political parties? How many national assembly members had with their constituents before they came up with that? First and foremost, it negates the whole extent of democracy. In a democracy there has to be freedom of choice. Now I might want to be a member of the political party because that political party, the modus operandi is in sync with my own belief and conviction. I might want a consensus candidate. I might opt for an indirect primaries. I might opt for direct primaries. Let the various parties be allowed to operate the way they thought they desired and it is now the choice of Nigeria to join a political party based on this operandi. Now when you say every political party must operate direct primaries, then you have restricted the choices of Nigeria which is antithetical to democratic principle. So I strongly disagree when you say every political party must know that will be draconian. What the National Assembly members are trying to do is to clear the wings of the governors. Forgetting they were beneficiaries of that system they are fighting today. But principally what they want to do is to clear the wings of the governor. Now even if you choose of indirect, you cannot clear the wings of the governor because they have this financial muzzle and we all know that politics is all about financial muzzle. For now it has not to be so but for now in Nigeria that is what it is and you will not for your own selfish interest you plan to deny the other person nothing like that is wrong. So let the political parties decide what the mode of primaries you are not direct let the political parties decide. The most important thing is that there is an accommodation, an accommodation, an agreement was reached. It was not questioned on the table. That is the most important thing. So I strongly disagree that every political primary every political party must adopt the direct ethical to democratic laws and practices. Okay so let's move away from the issue of direct primaries and the bill now and then talk about security. What the president has renewed crackdown on bandits and has given an order to the military that's on the nation newspaper and that's also you also have another on the leadership where the president orders major offenses against the bandits. I also remember at the time where there was a report recently where the president is quoted to say that we're hoping that God would answer our prayers as regards to the fight against insorgency in Nigeria and this is a government that promise you know security of lives and property as a 2015. So where does that really leave us? We have a government that has been havoced with the lives of Nigeria. A government that is not sincere in this war against enough hope to bolster my assassinations. One result of Gumi that is still moving free. We have the issue of the format that we are rewarded with a bachelor's appointment for their attitude and embarrassment and only amplifying who's successful. The president says this is the cleanest thing that the president has said. The equipment that the money we are located in and this same capital we are rewarded with a bachelor's appointment for the second graduates. And on the name of concrete performance that is what is that is what is happening. It doesn't matter how relevant it is. Now it's making supplications on to God. That is God who almost makes our prayers to God because if they happen no major and the Christian will help yourself. You cannot not be to pass the exam. You must get these bills. You must be a useless idiot for you to ever think that way. And that is what is going on in this country. This is a government that is insensitive to the flight of Nigeria. A government that will tell Nigeria to defend itself. That is a repudiation of obligation. That is a vision of a plan that you have failed. That is saying we are not interested in what the president is saying. He has said go ahead and defend yourself. I cannot let that thing that is taking over local government in the north because of that kind of map. We are not, we are no longer interested in the rap stories of the, of Mr. President. We just pray that the situation does not really get, uh, uh, jealous negations of the case might be straightened on daily basis. That it doesn't really get out of hands. You know, where they can break up this country. Before this manager's office called 2023, next year. We just pray. But the situation gets worse by today. It gets better by today. So I'm no longer interested in what Mr. he gave an order to the former IGT going to relocate to Bruno. He went to Bruno. He told that the IGT never slept in Bruno. What did Mr. President tell Nigeria? He said he was not that, he was going to, going to get that when he, uh, in Abu Dhabi, when he got back to Abu Dhabi. He never did. And that was the end of it. We never had the commander in chief. What are we talking about? He just got up and he was going to do that. Yeah, Mr. Inkutara, Mr. Inkutara, I mean, we're well aware of what the, the president said in his very now famous speech where he said, you know, um, he's relocating the command and control center, you know, of, of, of the entire military establishment to the north. Um, looking at, at, at the failures as you've highlighted, is it about just the executive of the, the country being the president? What about the military itself? You know, what blame do they have in all of this? Cause it's like saying, oh, you have a football team and every time the football team loses, it's all about the coach. But the players at some point also have to take some responsibility as well. Well, yes, we can. Okay. Using who took the credit? The coach, the players, the coach, Mr. President, so he should also take the blame. Mr. Inkutara, are you, you've talked about the fact that the president is a former general. Well, one, one of the, um, the stories there, um, of course, report that Tinibu is saying is hopeful to end insecurity. So I'll just, uh, end up with that, uh, before Mexico comes back in and, uh, do you think? So, so you think Tinibu can do what he's saying he will do, which is to end the insecurity as a solution? Since the soldier or the former general is here. With your question, that is for justice. All right. Uh, well, this is We have to go now for the want of time, but I mean, it's always a delight to have you on the show and we look forward to, uh, having more of this conversation. Some other time. Thank you so much. Open up on Kotaria, uh, for We, we, we, we promise we'll look into that. Thank you so much. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Well, that's it on, uh, you know, the paper review, very explosive. We look forward to another time with open up on Kotaria. This point in time, we're heading straight to the second conversation. We'll be looking at the issue of tax evasion, of course, at this point in time, non-remittance by government agencies, ministries and department. Please stick around. We'll be right back.