By Solomon Okpo
The Association of Niger Delta Online Publishers (ANDOP) has secured the backing of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), South-South Zone, for its proposed political debates involving candidates contesting the 2027 general elections across the Niger Delta region.
The commitment was made when the Board of Trustees of ANDOP paid a courtesy visit to the Vice President of the NUJ, South-South Zone, Opaka Dokubo, at his office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The visit was aimed at formally introducing the association to the zonal leadership of the NUJ and briefing the union on ANDOP’s proposed collaboration with the NUJ to organise credible, issue-based debates for candidates of various political parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Receiving the delegation, Dokubo welcomed the initiative and pledged the full support and collaboration of the NUJ towards ensuring its successful implementation across the Niger Delta.
He commended the leadership and members of ANDOP for the professionalism they have brought to online journalism, describing the association as an emerging force in promoting credible information and combating the spread of fake news in the digital media space.
The NUJ zonal vice president also expressed satisfaction with the calibre of journalists now driving online publishing in the region, describing the development as a positive addition to journalism and democratic communication in the Niger Delta.
Dokubo, however, challenged ANDOP to strengthen its mentoring programme for young journalism graduates, stressing the need to prepare a new generation of professional journalists capable of sustaining ethical journalism practice and preventing quacks from taking over the online media space.
He assured the delegation that the NUJ would work closely with ANDOP to ensure the success and credibility of the proposed debates across the region.
Earlier, the Founding President of ANDOP, Ofonime Umanah, who led the delegation, said the association was established not only to provide a credible perspective on issues affecting the Niger Delta through online platforms, but also to mentor and develop younger journalists in the region.
Umanah explained that ANDOP was ready to collaborate with the NUJ in organising debates involving candidates for governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives seats across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the debates would give citizens and voters the opportunity to hear directly from political candidates, scrutinise their programmes, assess their competence and make informed decisions at the polls.
He said the initiative formed part of ANDOP’s broader commitment to strengthening journalism, deepening democratic participation and promoting responsible political communication across the Niger Delta.
Other members of the ANDOP delegation included the Secretary of the association, Celestine Ogolo, and the Treasurer, Sir Lawson Hayford.
