The Oodua People's Congress formed during the violent rule of Gen. Sani Abacha, the last in a line of military rulers who came from the country's north and in 1993 nullified the election of Moshood Abiola, a Yoruba. The OPC armed itself in preparation to bring down Abacha, only to see him die in 1998. The next target was whoever northerners connived to replace him with. But, after a transitional period, Obasanjo was elected. The Yoruba activists, along with counterparts in other regions, are calling for a national convention to rewrite Nigeria's constitution.
Federal officials acknowledge problems and point to a panel named to review the constitution.
But in Lagos, the political question has become snarled in crime. Always a relatively dangerous city, Lagos has grown even less secure since Obasanjo reined in one of the most brutal police forces. At the same time, vigilantism has risen, especially under the OPC banner. Earlier this month members burned down specific homes in a slum so tightly controlled by gangsters that the police dared not venture in. Such outbursts have made the organization widely popular among the city's poor.