Nigerian counterculture legend and activist Charles “Charly Boy” Oputa is fuming after the Lagos State Government renamed the iconic Charly Boy Bus Stop in Bariga to Baddo Bus Stop, in honour of rapper Olamide Adedeji.
But to Charly Boy, this is more than just a name change—it’s a political swipe at dissent and a tone-deaf attempt to rewrite public memory.
In a fiery series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), the self-proclaimed Area Fada declared: “You can rename a place… but you can’t rename a legacy. You can replace the signboard… but you can’t erase the spirit. And you definitely can’t silence a voice that shook your tables for decades!”
And then the dagger: “This is not about a bus stop. It’s about fear. Fear of a boy who refused to bow. Fear of a man who challenged oppressors.”
According to Charly Boy, the original name wasn’t a political gift—it was an organic tribute from the people of Bariga and Gbagada, born out of decades of street-level activism, defiance, and community influence. “Area Fada no dey finish,” he wrote, underscoring his legacy as a voice that can’t be wiped out with municipal ink.
Public Fury: Lawyers, Activists Join the Fight
The renaming has ignited a broader backlash, drawing fire from legal experts, rights activists, and cultural critics.
Femi Falana (SAN) called the move “unconstitutional and authoritarian,” noting that Bariga LCDA lacks the statutory authority to rename public infrastructure. He accused the council of ignoring legal procedures and community sentiment.
Constitutional lawyer Monday Ubani (SAN) took it further, branding the renaming “tribalistic” and “divisive.” He cautioned that targeting non-Yoruba names in a multicultural city like Lagos risks deepening ethnic fault lines.
Omoyele Sowore, human rights campaigner and politician, labeled the move a spiteful rewriting of history. He accused the Lagos government of sanitizing the past by silencing symbols of radical resistance.
What Changed, and Why It Hit a Nerve
The Charly Boy Bus Stop—a landmark known to generations of Lagosians—was among several renamed as part of a Bariga LCDA initiative to celebrate homegrown icons. Other honourees included King Sunny Ade, 9ice, and Tony Tetuila. Officials defended the move as a way to boost community pride.
But critics say it’s a case of political whitewashing, and that Charly Boy—an unfiltered critic of power, both military and civilian—is being deliberately scrubbed from the city’s landscape.
Why This Matters
| Theme | Insight |
|---|---|
| Legacy vs. Label | Charly Boy insists a legacy can’t be undone with a nameplate. |
| Rule of Law Questioned | Legal experts say the council acted outside its jurisdiction. |
| Cultural Identity Crisis | Renaming raises fears of ethnic exclusion and historical erasure. |
| Public Memory Fights Back | Communities may still call it “Charly Boy” despite the change. |
