Electoral integrity, insecurity and media accountability will take centre stage as the Delta Online Publishers Forum holds its 2026 annual conference in Asaba on October 21, with the Delta State Government’s Chief Strategist, Dr Festus Goziem Okubor, as chairman.
Okubor has accepted the invitation to chair the conference and deliver the opening address at the event scheduled for David’s Event Centre, GRA, Asaba.
The sixth edition of the forum’s annual lecture series is themed, “Democracy Under Pressure: Electoral Integrity, Security Challenges and Media Accountability in Nigeria.”
In the invitation letter, the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Dn. Chijioke Williams Ugbolue, and the Secretary, Comrade Josephine Omodior, said Okubor’s experience in politics, public administration and governance informed the choice.
They said his participation would help stimulate discussions on the responsibilities of political institutions, the media and other stakeholders in protecting democratic values and public confidence in governance.
Okubor has served Delta State in several capacities, including as chairman of Ika North East Local Government Council, State Director of Protocol at Government House, commissioner for Special Duties, Information and Health, and Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba.
He also served as chairman of the Governing Council of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, and has worked as chief strategist under successive state administrations.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is expected to attend the conference as the special guest of honour.
Other invited participants include government officials, political leaders, security chiefs, media executives and representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
Students of political science, mass communication and related disciplines are also expected to attend.
The forum said the conference would provide a platform for stakeholders to examine the role of credible journalism, electoral accountability and institutional responsibility in addressing challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy.
