ASABA/Nigeria: Dr Festus Goziem Okubor, Chief Strategist to the Delta State Government, has accepted an invitation to chair the 2026 Annual Conference and 6th Lecture Series of the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF), scheduled for October 21 in Asaba.
The conference planning committee confirmed Okubor’s acceptance in an invitation process led by its Chairman, Dn. Chijioke Williams Ugbolue, MNIPR, and Secretary, Comrade Josephine Omodior. The event will hold at David’s Event Centre, GRA, Asaba, from 11:00 a.m.
With the theme, “Democracy Under Pressure: Electoral Integrity, Security Challenges and Media Accountability in Nigeria,” the conference is expected to bring together media practitioners, political leaders, government officials, academics, security representatives and other stakeholders to examine issues affecting democratic governance.
Okubor has also been invited to deliver the opening address, offering perspectives on the responsibilities of political institutions, the media and other stakeholders in protecting electoral credibility, addressing security challenges and strengthening public confidence in governance.
His selection draws on a public service career spanning local government administration, protocol, information, health and executive coordination. He served as Chairman of Ika North East Local Government Council in Owa-Oyibu in 2002 before becoming the first State Director of Protocol at the Delta State Government House in 2003.
He subsequently served as Commissioner for Special Duties, Commissioner for Information and Commissioner for Health. His other responsibilities included Chief of Staff at Government House, Asaba, and Chairman of the Governing Council of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.
Okubor has also served as Chief Strategist to successive Delta State administrations, including the government of Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, a role that places him within the state’s policy and executive coordination framework.
The conference is expected to provide a platform for discussions on how electoral institutions, security agencies, political actors and the media can address pressures on Nigeria’s democratic process. Issues surrounding credible elections, public trust, misinformation, journalists’ safety and accountability are among the concerns associated with the event’s theme.
Governor Oborevwori is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour. Other invited participants include political leaders, government officials, security chiefs, media executives, representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), as well as students of Political Science, Mass Communication and related disciplines.
For DOPF, the conference represents an opportunity to bring different professional and institutional perspectives into a conversation about democratic accountability and the role of public information in shaping citizens’ understanding of governance.
The forum’s annual conference and lecture series provides a platform for engagement on public-interest issues, with the 2026 edition focusing on the relationship between electoral integrity, security and responsible media practice.
