Veteran Nigerian Singer, Charly Boy (Charles Oputa) has fired back after Bariga Local Council Development Area renamed the well-known Charly Boy Bus Stop to Baddo Bus Stop, in honour of rapper Olamide Adedeji.
He declared the move an attempt to intimidate dissent and erase his legacy.
The 75-year-old entertainer emphasised that the bus stop earned its name from the people he stood with—not by political decree. He said:
“You can rename a place… but you can’t rename a legacy. You can replace the signboard… but you can’t erase the spirit.”
He framed the renaming as an act of fear: a reaction by the local authority to suppress a voice that has challenged the status quo and amplified marginalized communities.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) condemned the renaming, calling it illegal and unconstitutional. He pointed out that street and landmark naming falls under local council jurisdiction and must follow due process, including public input.
Critics, including activist Omoyele Sowore called the move authoritarian, politically motivated, and possibly ethno-chauvinistic, warning it reeks of divisiveness disguised as civic rebranding.
