By Muhammad Mamman
Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has fiercely criticised the recent renaming of streets and bus stops in Lagos State, branding the moves as unlawful, high-handed, and a blatant breach of constitutional powers reserved for local government councils.
In a scathing statement, Falana highlighted controversial cases, including the renaming of the iconic “Charley Boy Bus Stop” to “Baddo Bus Stop” by Kolade Alabi, former Chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA). He also condemned the naming of streets after President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as well as two streets reportedly named by billionaire Aliko Dangote in honour of his late friend Herbert Wigwe and President Tinubu, without proper legal approval.
Falana stressed that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) explicitly grants local government councils exclusive authority over naming streets, roads, and assigning house numbers, as outlined in the Fourth Schedule. He cited a landmark ruling in Chief Obidi Ume v. Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, where the High Court affirmed that only the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) holds legal powers to name roads within its jurisdiction.
“The flagrant usurpation of local government functions by individuals and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos is indefensible under the Nigerian Constitution,” Falana declared.
He singled out the renaming of Charley Boy Bus Stop—a culturally significant landmark named for its historical and sociological importance to Bariga and Gbagada residents—as particularly egregious. “Renaming it without consulting the community is a slap in the face to local heritage and reeks of authoritarianism,” he argued.
Falana also decried the retention of colonial-era street names glorifying figures tied to oppression, while names honouring Nigerians who made positive contributions are erased. He urged Lagos’ local government legislative bodies to halt arbitrary renamings and establish mandatory public hearings and legal processes to safeguard community identity and uphold constitutional principles.
“Streets must not be renamed on a whim to appease political egos or promote ethnic agendas, especially in a vibrant, cosmopolitan hub like Lagos,” the esteemed lawyer asserted, calling for transparency, due process, and democratic engagement to protect the city’s rich heritage.
