Nigerian Opposition APC Says Officials Arrested Before Election

(Bloomberg) -- Nigerian police arrested several leaders of the main opposition All Progressive Congress before the start of Saturday’s elections, a party spokesman said. Most of the arrests took place in Lagos, Rivers and Kaduna State, Lai Mohammed, the spokesman said by phone from Lagos, the commercial capital. Among those detained on Friday were Okechukwu Okorocha, an aid to the governor of the southeast Imo State, and Emmanuel Deeyah, a party chieftain in Rivers State, he said. “This is meant to intimidate us and our supporters,” he said. “When you arrest party leaders before or during an election, it discourages the party members and their supporters from coming out to vote.’’ APC leader Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler is seeking to topple President Goodluck Jonathan in the election, which is set to be the tightest since the end of military rule in 1999. Police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu confirmed the arrests. ‘‘We are not targeting any political party,’’ he said by phone. ‘‘We will arrest any party official that commits an electoral offence. In the case of the APC member in Imo State, he was arrested for illegal arms possession.’’ Source:Bloomberg