Barely all hotel accommodation in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, are fully booked ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, leaving local brothels as the available accommodation for politicians just entering the town on election duties.

Peoples Gazette reports that the major hotels are being occupied by politicians, who are in the state to rally support for their respective political parties for the governorship election.

Fifteen political parties, who already fielded candidates for the July 16 governorship election, would be participating in the weekend exercise. 

They are; A, AAC, ZLP, ADP, APC, APM, APP, BP, LP, NNPP, NRM, PDP, PRP, SD,P and YPP. 

However, the governorship election is a two-horse race between the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and the PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke. 

The development has made the management of the hotels to increase the prices of their accommodation by five per cent for the few available rooms while those who could not afford the high rates resorted to seeking alternatives. 

Gladiators of the political parties were said to have booked and paid for accommodation a week ahead of the election. 

Many of the hotels are also occupied by security agencies, particularly operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) including members of the Civil Society Organisations have occupied the popular hotels. 

The hotels include; Laim Hotel, Prime Gold Hotel, Princecourt Hotel, Aenon Suit, Flora Suite Hotel, Western Sun International Hotel, Big Ocean Inn and Halatria Hotels, among others.

Some of the hoteliers, who spoke with The Gazette, confirmed that their rooms have been booked by politicians, security agents, and members of NGOs participating in the election. 

“The influx into the state within just three days to the election is too much. We don’t even have any room available as I speak. Everywhere has been occupied and even booked ahead,” said a manager with Flora Suite Hotel in Osogbo. 

Also, Josiah Oluwole, a journalist, said he arrived in town to perform his duty but was surprised that all the hotels had been filled up. 

“I have been moving around with a bike in a bid to also get one (hotel) but surprisingly everywhere has been occupied and booked.

“The one I could find is nothing compared to an underground cell. It’s just too small and the environment is irritating,” Mr Oluwole of Premium Times said. 

Findings, however, revealed that those who could not get accommodation in the hotels are now moving to the brothels within the town. 

The Gazette gathered that some of the brothels have also asked their lodgers to vacate temporarily to enable them to rent their rooms to desperate guests seeking accommodation. 

A manager in one of the brothel homes in Osogbo, who identified his name simply as Ahmed said “We are experiencing a rush of visitors here. So, we have decided we would only be accommodating only those who can stay for just one night. So, it is going to be just a night’s rest,” he said. 

He added that the sex workers in the motel are also using the opportunity to make brisk business following the surge in patronage.