Charly Boy B/Stop: PDP Threatens Legal Action

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has threatened legal action against the state governor over its recent controversial decision to rename some streets in the state.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the decision by some Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs and Local Government Areas, LGAs, to rename some streets was targeted against some persons and has ethnic undertone.

The state PDP made its position known in a statement on Thursday signed by the party’s Vice Chairman, Hakeem Olalemi, saying the party rejected the action because it has the potentials to “erase history” apart from the fact that it threatens the “unity and diversity” in the country.

The magazine reported that the most controversial in the renaming exercise, is the changing of the Charly Boy Bust Stop to Olamide Badoo Bus Stop in the Shomolu LGA which sparked reactions from not a few Nigerians who are now polarized over the issue.

For instance, prominent rights lawyer Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, condemned the act, wondering whether the renaming was carried out in consultations with Lagosians.

Reacting, the PDP said the action has sent wrong signals to non-indigenes who have contributed immensely  to the progress of the state, urging the state to have a re-think over the issue, noting that the renaming was carried out without adequate consultations with the people, describing the action as unconstitutional.

Part of the statement reads, “The Lagos PDP is hereby rejecting in totality the renaming of streets by some council chairmen. We should not erase history because of politics. It is against the spirit of unity in diversity and it will certainly affect the image of the state as a cosmopolitan state.

“We should be seen to be promoting unity and not to give the wrong impression to non-indigenes in the state. We have various ethnic nationalists in our state, who have contributed immensely to the development of our state, hence the reason why some streets were named after them initially.

“This current action by some council executives should be reconsidered. Most of the streets affected were bearing Igbo names before and this leaves so many questions in the heart of non-indigenes.

“The APC should, as a matter of fact, revert to the status quo. If the steps are not reversed, the party could seek legal redress in court in order to preserve the identity of Lagos State as a cosmopolitan state.

“We cannot erase history in the name of politics. The ruling party should know that this renaming of streets arbitrarily can lead to riot, unrest and serious chaos if care is not taken.”

The magazine had reported that legendary  entertainer Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy while reacting to the issue defiantly said his legacy cannot be erased by changing  the Charly Boy Bus Stop to Olamide Badoo Bus Stop.