The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, barred journalists from covering Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s official state address marking two years in office.
In a move widely condemned as undemocratic and opaque, journalists from leading national and regional media outlets, including The Nigeria Xpress, The Punch, The Guardian, Tribune, ThisDay, Champion, Emerald Online, The Story, New Telegraph, Leadership, Nigerian Pilot, BusinessDay, and many others were denied entry into the Assembly complex, despite arriving as early as 9:30 AM and presenting valid identification.
The police officer in charge, identified as ASP Saviour David, told the assembled press that they would not be allowed inside, without offering a clear explanation.
Shockingly, while frontline reporters were denied access, select individuals not affiliated with the press—and a handful of female journalists attached to Government House—were allowed entry, raising questions of bias and selective transparency.
Efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor and the CPS to the Speaker for clarification were unsuccessful, as both officials were unreachable at the time of filing this report.
This blatant exclusion of the press has sparked outrage among journalists and advocates for press freedom, who view it as a troubling attempt to suppress independent reporting and limit public access to state proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, officially invited journalists to cover the event; yet, heavily armed security operatives blocked journalists from entering the complex premises to carry out their constitutional assignment.