A communication scholar, Norbert Chiazor and a senior police officer will lead discussions on electoral integrity, security challenges and media accountability at the 2026 Annual Conference and 6th Lecture Series of the Delta Online Publishers Forum.
The panellists are the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Southern Delta University, Ozoro, Prof. Presley Obukoadata; journalist and media scholar, Chiazor; and Chief Superintendent of Police Gladys Imegwu.
The conference, scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, at 11am, will hold at David’s Event Centre in the Government Reservation Area, Asaba, Delta State, under the theme, “Democracy Under Pressure: Electoral Integrity, Security Challenges, and Media Accountability.”
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, is expected to attend as the Special Guest of Honour.
The organisers said the conference would bring together journalists, academics, security professionals, public officials and other stakeholders to discuss how credible elections, public safety and responsible journalism could strengthen democratic governance.
Obukoadata, a professor of brand, strategic and metacommunication, is expected to bring an academic perspective to discussions on the media’s role in protecting electoral integrity, countering misinformation and promoting informed public debate.
He is also the Dean of the Faculty of Communication Technology at Southern Delta University and has researched strategic communication, crisis communication, media ecology, artificial intelligence and development communication.
Chiazor, a journalist, author and publisher of The Nigerian Post, is expected to draw on his experience in broadcasting, newsroom management and public communication.
He served as chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council, from 2011 to 2017, and has worked as a media aide to former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and currently serves in a similar role under Oborevwori.
His contribution is expected to address media independence, professional ethics, fact-based reporting and the responsibility of online publishers to check misinformation, particularly during elections.
Imegwu, who is in charge of legal matters at the Delta State Police Command, is expected to provide a law enforcement perspective on election security, due process, citizens’ rights and cooperation between the police and the media.
Her participation will also provide an opportunity to examine the responsibilities of security agencies in maintaining peace, protecting lives and property, and enforcing the law impartially during elections.
The conference theme reflects concerns about the pressures facing democratic institutions, including questions surrounding electoral credibility, public trust, security and the spread of misinformation through digital platforms.
The forum said the gathering would provide a platform for discussions on how the media, security agencies and other institutions could strengthen public confidence in the democratic process while balancing media freedom with professional accountability.
