Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN), has sounded a strong alarm over the recent wave of street and bus stop renaming in Lagos without due process or community consent. He described the move as unconstitutional, authoritarian, and legally unfounded.
Falana pointed directly to the controversial renaming of the “Charly Boy Bus Stop” to “Baddo Bus Stop” by the Bariga LCDA chairman, Kolade Alabi, arguing that the old name was born from Bariga and Gbagada community tradition and social identity. He argued that changing it without locals’ input bears all the marks of autocracy.
Under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), Falana emphasised that only properly constituted local government councils have the sole authority to name and number roads and houses, as outlined in the Fourth Schedule.
He referenced court precedents such as Chief Obidi Ume v. Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, which affirmed that only statutory local government entities may sanction such renamings.
Falana also highlighted the hypocrisy of retaining Lagos roads honouring colonial oppressors, while renaming landmarks named after Nigerians who positively impacted society. He condemned what he called a trend of promoting ethnic or political preferences, especially in a cosmopolitan city like Lagos.
He urged state authorities and local councils to immediately halt arbitrary street renaming and instead institutionalise transparent processes, such as public hearings and legislative oversight. Communities should hear, participate in, and consent to changes affecting places of cultural and historical significance.
Falana made clear: Lagos State cannot bypass constitutional provisions for naming rights just to satisfy political whims. If governance is to remain grounded in law and public trust, every renaming must come with community input, legislative approval, and respect for heritage.