Posted by By Vincent Nwanma, Dow Jones Newswires on
Adams Oshiomhole, former leader of the Nigeria Labor Congress and a candidate for governor in Saturday's election, has been arrested, a union official told Dow Jones Newswires late Monday.
LAGOS -(Dow Jones)- Adams Oshiomhole, former leader of the Nigeria Labor Congress and a candidate for governor in Saturday's election, has been arrested, a union official told Dow Jones Newswires late Monday.
The official said Oshiomhole had been moved to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters.
But Haz Iwendi, a commissioner of police and spokesman for the Nigeria police, said he couldn't confirm the arrest.
Oshiomhole ran for governor of Edo state in the Niger Delta, on the platform of the Labor Party.
Results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or Inec, indicated that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party Candidate in Edo won the election.
Oshiomhole had called for a cancellation of the governorship polls in Edo, citing irregularities.
Before the polls, he had also called for the transfer of the Inec's electoral commissioner in Edo state, claiming the official wouldn't be objective.
Nigerians went to the polls Saturday to elect governors and members of the Houses of Assembly in the country's 26 states, as wells as councilors for the federal capital territory, Abuja.
Oshiomhole is the first of the candidates for governor to be arrested following the release of the results of the polls and protests that have trailed the announcements.
In Lagos state, where the Action Congress won, for instance, the other candidates addressed a joint press conference Sunday where they asked Inec to void the results.
There have been reports of spates of violence and electoral irregularities in different parts of Nigeria. As a result of the violence, Inec canceled the polls in some areas.
The police said Sunday a total of 21 people died in electoral violence, while more than 20 were arrested. However, independent newspapers put the number of those killed Saturday at about 46.