A circulating memo, purportedly originating from the Government House in Kogi State, has come to our attention. Dated October 31, the memo is titled “Request for Reservation of All Your Hotel Rooms from November 4–12, 2023.” It was addressed to all general managers and chief executive officers of hotels within the state and indicates the state government’s intention to rent and fully occupy all hotel rooms, regardless of size or classification, during the specified period.
The memo also instructs hotel managers to submit their bills for these rooms by November 1, 2023.
This memo has been widely shared on various social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook, particularly by members of opposition parties.
In response to the memo, the Leke/Omede campaign council of the African Democratic Party (ADC), issued a press statement, suggesting that the state government, under the leadership of Yahaya Bello, may be attempting to secure accommodations for individuals who could potentially disrupt the electoral process.
It is worth noting that a similar memo had surfaced a few days earlier from Imo State, where the state government had similarly directed the reservation of hotel rooms. CDD War Room wrote a fact-check on said claim.
Verification
Kogi State is among the three states where off-cycle elections are scheduled for November 11, 2023. While the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, is not on the ballot, his party’s candidate, Ahmed Ododo is a major contender in the race.
To ascertain the authenticity of these claims, the CDD War Room conducted inquiries with several hotels within the state. The manager of Edge Drive Hotel stated during a phone conversation that the government had not booked all of their hotel rooms. He explained that this would be logistically impossible, as the establishment is not government-owned. However, he was unable to confirm whether any rooms were available for booking. He mentioned that a foreign mission, just recently made reservation at the hotel.
Managers of three other hotels in the state, namely Reverton, Emblem, and Idrinana, confirmed that they had received the aforementioned memo.
Verdict: True
CDD War Room has verified the claim to be true. Hotels in Kogi State did receive a memo from the government stating its readiness to “rent and occupy all rooms.” in the hotels.