The Nigerian Navy (NN), has expressed it’s readiness to support the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), to conduct peaceful elections across the country from next Saturday.
Navy says it is ready to provide security to all Nigerians, before, during and after the elections and also escort election materials in the creeks of the Niger Delta , to ensure no one was disenfranchised.
The Executive Officer Nigerian Navy Ships (NNS), Pathfinder, Captain Stanley Umeh, said this during the first quarter Route March exercise in Port Harcourt Rivers State, at the weekend.
Ume said the exercise is a show of Force for next week’s general elections, oil thieves and pipeline vandalism in the country, beginning from the Niger Delta .
He also noted that it is a sign of readiness of Navy personnel for peaceful conduct of the polls on Saturday and other election days in the year.
Ume said: “Route march is a sign of readiness for us. Route March is a routine exercise in the military. This is the first quarter route March for 2023 and it’s done across all Naval formation across the country.
“Route march is a way of enforcing confidence in the general public that members of the Nigerian Navy and the Armed Forces at large, is always ready to be out there in the discharge of our constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and property. “We’re not contending with anybody, but the show of force is in the direction of protecting the general populace from vandals, miscreants and to build confidence in the populace that they are safe.
“It’s also part of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo’s strategic imperatives that the Nigerian Navy supports INEC in every way possible in reaching out to the creeks and ensure election materials get to the coastal communities safely and that elections are conducted there without rancour.”
