Government of Kogi State, has revealed its plans to book all hotel rooms in the state between Saturday, 4th to Sunday, 12th November 2023.
The intention of the state government was made known in a memo dated October 31 which was signed by the Director-General Government House administration, Alhaji Oricha U. Shuaibu.
The memo requested the management of all hotels to to submit details of their bills for all the rooms for payment, not later than 12 noon on 1 November.
According to the memo, the government intends to rent and occupy all the rooms irrespective of their sizes and classifications at their current rates.
Though no specific mention was made concerning the forthcoming November 11 governorship election in the state, stakeholders and observers are of the view that the government’s move is linked to the forthcoming elections.
Raye24reporters reported that the Imo State government also took a similar step ahead of the governorship polls in the state.
According to the report, Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration ordered all owners and managers of hotels in the Owerri metropolis to make their rooms available only to the government, before the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Imo State.
The development was disclosed in a memo issued by the Commissioner for the State Ministry of Tourism, Jerry Egbule Egemba.
The memo revealed the government was planning to rent and occupy all the hotel rooms, no matter their size or classification, in the state from Saturday, November 4, to Saturday, November 11, 2023, thus shutting out election observers and other political parties.
Egemba requested that details of accommodation bills for all the rooms covering the period for settlement be submitted to his office.
The development has raised suspicion in the various camps of other political parties and civil society organisations, alleging it is an attempt to rig the election and shut out election observers from monitoring the electoral process.
