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Legal practitioner to join panel as renowned professor accepts to moderate discussion in Asaba

ASABA – The Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) has announced that legal practitioner Godswill O. Umahi, Esq., will serve as a panelist at its 2026 Annual Conference and 6th Lecture Series, while Professor Kemi Anthony Emina, OdiEga, has accepted to moderate the discussion.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at David’s Event Centre, GRA, Asaba, Delta State. It will run under the theme “Democracy Under Pressure: Electoral Integrity, Security Challenges, and Media Accountability.”

Media practitioners, academics, policymakers, legal experts and other stakeholders are expected to attend and examine issues affecting Nigeria’s democracy and the media’s role in safeguarding democratic values. Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour.

In a statement on Sunday, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Deacon Chijioke Williams Ugbolue, and the Secretary, Comrade Josephine Omodior, said Umahi’s participation would enrich the panel with his expertise in data privacy, regulatory compliance, artificial intelligence, technology law and the rule of law.

They said his contributions would be especially relevant to how these issues intersect with electoral integrity, public accountability, digital communication and the evolving responsibilities of online publishers.

Umahi has more than a decade of legal experience, with a litigation practice covering land, contract, criminal and general civil matters. He specialises in global data privacy and retention and holds professional certifications in Artificial Intelligence, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Business Startup Management. He also offers legal and policy perspectives on national issues, with particular interest in law, technology and governance.

The organisers said his commitment to making complex legal developments accessible to the public should offer useful insights into the legal and ethical questions facing digital publishers in a technology-driven information environment.

Professor Emina, a philosopher, scholar, broadcaster, journalist and community leader, brings extensive academic and media experience to the moderator’s role. His principal academic interests are Development Philosophy and African Metaphysics.

He was among the pioneer staff of the Delta Printing and Publishing Company Ltd., publishers of The Pointer newspaper, before working with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). He also served as Worldwide President of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, was an active member of the university’s Governing Council, and currently chairs the Board of UI Ventures Ltd. Among his honours is the traditional title of OdiEga of Ebu.

The organisers expect his background in journalism, broadcasting, philosophy and institutional leadership to ensure a balanced and engaging discussion on electoral credibility, security challenges and media accountability.

Through the conference, the Forum said it seeks to promote informed public discourse, strengthen professional standards among online publishers, and encourage greater media accountability at a time when electoral integrity, national security, misinformation and public trust remain critical concerns in Nigeria’s democratic development.