The Chief is national coordinator of the Joint Action Committee for Nigeria, an umbrella of 61 human rights groups, and the leader of the National Conscience Party, established to oppose the military dictatorship. According to Fawehinmi, Nigeria's political crisis, which began when the military took power in 1966, has continued under General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who succeeded the despised Sani Abacha, who died in June of this year. Chief Fawehinmi decried the international community for so quickly embracing Abubakar as the answer to Nigeria's problems. He said that Abubakar has done little to earn this sort of trust. Nigeria's economy is struggling as well.
Private citizens cope with soaring inflation rates and poverty.
They must wait weeks to get even a drop of oil, despite the fact that Nigeria is OPEC's second largest petroleum producer. Second, he must establish a government of national unity, composed mostly of civilians and acting as a mouthpiece for the entire nation, and not simply for a military elite. Finally, Abubakar must form a Sovereign National Conference whose job it will be to decide the country's future, including the drafting of a democratic constitution. Chief Fawehinmi argued that the international community can not trust the Abubakar regime until these goals are accomplished. Abubakar is attempting now to cajole Western democracies into accepting his rule.