By Estelle Shirbon

BENIN CITY, Nigeria, April 17 (Reuters) - It has been a bad week for Adams Oshiomhole.

He says he was robbed of victory in an election for governor of the southern Nigerian state of Edo, his supporters were shot and tear-gassed and he was arrested.

But Oshiomhole, a former labour union leader whose supporters call him "comrade", has taken heart in spontaneous protests against electoral fraud that drew thousands into the streets of the state capital Benin City.

"Nigerians have an incredible capacity to tolerate injustice, but yesterday I saw them come out in anger," Oshiomhole told Reuters on Tuesday at his home in the city, where authorities have declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

"I'm not under any illusion that it will overturn the result, but it's worth it just to get the message across that 'look, if you keep doing this you will burn the country'."

Edo is one of several states where observers and residents say voting for a new governor and state assembly on Saturday was so badly rigged that the official result was meaningless.

Voters in Benin City say they saw supporters of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) stuffing ballot boxes, snatching result sheets and intimidating voters. Results were returned for some wards where there was no voting at all.

An announcement on Monday that the PDP had won the state election infuriated thousands of residents, who rushed into the streets waving brooms, symbol of Oshiomhole's opposition Action Congress.

He led a demonstration through the city that lasted all day, despite police gunfire that injured three people, and tear-gassing of the crowd. Oshiomhole says he was roughed up by a policeman and briefly detained.

GOVERNOR AND GODFATHER

This reporter saw several speeding police cars with officers leaning out of the windows and shooting in the air.

Some of the police vehicles escorted other cars full of gunmen in civilian clothes who were also shooting in the air. Residents said these were PDP thugs.

"They are imposing an unpopular candidate on the people. Nobody voted for him. We have come out to support Oshiomhole because he has been robbed of the mandate of the people," said Prester Uwuoruya, a biology student waving a broom.

Many protesters said they saw the influence of a "godfather" in the widespread vote-rigging. Godfather is the term for powerful, unelected figures who try to ensure success for their proteges. They expect rewards after the election.

In the case of Edo, the godfather is Tony Anenih, one of the most senior officials in the PDP at national level.

"It's so obvious that the Action Congress won the election but the PDP rigged it because Anenih is desperate to hold onto his home state. We want our governor, not a godfather," said Ossai Osagie, a diplomacy student.

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