Ahead of Saturday’s National Elective Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), all major hotels and guest houses in Abuja, the nation’s capital, have been fully-booked.
Also occupied are hotels in bordering states of Niger and Nasarawa .
Findings by BusinessDay are that while all the hotels in Abuja have been fully paid for, party delegates and supporters of most aspirants are already in town.
A supporter to one of the chairmanship aspirants told our correspondent that he got to the state capital by 2am on Friday but was unable to secure accommodation.
According to the PDP faithful who works for a chairmanship aspirant from the South West, he had to travel to neighbouring Niger State to get accommodation.
“This is the first most competitive convention of the party since it was formed in 1998. In fact, it is like a presidential election. The stakes are high.
“I was in Abuja early on Friday to book hotel rooms for 100 supporters. From Trancorp, Sheraton, Bolton White Apartments, Nicon Luxury, Ajuji, Ibro, all hotels in Abuja are fully-booked.
“I heeded the advice of one of the receptionists who requested that I checked outside Abuja for accommodation. I finally secured accommodation in Niger State”, the chieftain who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed.
The influx of over 2,800 delegates in addition to more than 1,500 supporters and sympathisers in the nation’s capital and bordering states, has also stretched the transportation system in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A visit to the national secretariat of the party on Friday, revealed that it was a beehive of activity as there was massive sale of party souvenirs, even as printing contracts have scaled up in geometric progression.
Furthermore, some branded vehicles are already in town, conveying delegates to their hotels.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
