Anambra poll: Visitors lament difficulty in securing hotel accommodation

With barely three days to the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, visitors to the state are lamenting the difficulty in securing hotel accommodations.

Some of the visitors revealed that they have been in search of accommodation for several hours without success.

Ismaila Oke, an electoral observer who came in from Lagos, said he had been stranded for some hours in search of accommodation.

“All the hotels we contacted have no room. So, I have been making calls to see if I can share a room with my other colleagues who came to observe the election,” he said.

Ms Eunice Osemene, another observer from Delta, said she and her group came in on time with a view to secure accommodation before the rush, but were still unlucky.

She, however, said they would keep searching or resort to finding a hotel accommodation outside Awka town.

Newsmen were also seen expressing worry over the situation as they also sort out accreditation with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka.

Some newsmen accredited to cover the elections, who arrived in Awka since Tuesday also had challenges in getting hotel accommodation.

Some of the newsmen were seen at the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, planning their itinerary and contacting friends for a place to stay.

Meanwhile a visit by NAN to Club Road, Nibo road and Agu-Awka GRA revealed that hotel reservations within Awka and its environs had been fully booked by visitors.

Officials of the hotels visited said that the number of guests increased as a result of the November 6 governorship election in the state.

A hotelier, Mr. Uche Egwuibe, who works with a hotel at Agu-Awka GRA, said the hotel had been booked up till November 10.

“Many of our guests booked ahead of time and they have started arriving. We have also been turning back some guests since morning because we have no room to accommodate them,” he said.