Legal and Policy Analyst, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, has condemned the recent renaming of streets in Lagos State, describing the trend as a dangerous descent into tribal politics and systemic erasure of cultural diversity.
Ubani made the remarks in a strongly worded statement on Friday in reaction to the decision by the outgoing Chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Kolade Alabi David, to rename the popular Charly Boy Bus Stop to “Baddo Bus Stop” in honour of Nigerian artist Olamide.
While acknowledging the contributions of Olamide to the music industry, Ubani warned that the move, though seemingly harmless on the surface, reflects a disturbing pattern of quietly erasing names of streets and public places historically tied to non-Yoruba residents in Lagos, especially the Igbo community.
“This is not the first time such a policy has crept into the consciousness of Lagosians. Slowly but surely, what once was a cosmopolitan city that embraced all tribes, cultures, and peoples, is sliding into an ethnocentric experiment,” Ubani stated.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the lack of transparency, official policy explanations, or public engagement around the renaming exercises suggests a more sinister motive—one that seeks to rewrite the cultural history of Lagos to the detriment of national unity.
“No cogent or official explanation has been given for this disturbing trend. Were the original names imposed illegally? Were they not approved by the same arms of government now reversing them with reckless abandon?” he queried.
Ubani noted that the contributions of non-Yoruba communities, particularly the Igbo, to Lagos’ development are both historical and ongoing. He warned that actions promoting marginalization and ethnic bias, even at the local government level, could deepen existing national tensions.
“The time for lamentation is over. The North is bleeding profusely, and we are the only ones who can heal it,” he wrote, calling on leaders to embrace unity, mutual respect, and inclusiveness.
Ubani, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, and a long-time Lagos resident, said the Lagos he has known for decades is one that offered every Nigerian a fair shot at prosperity—regardless of their ethnic background.
“This rising trend of street renaming based on ethnic calculations betrays the progressive and sophisticated image of the Yoruba people, a people known for education, enterprise, and political sagacity,” he said.
He called on the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to provide clarity on the criteria for these renaming decisions, and to disclose whether residents were consulted in the process.
Ubani warned that if left unchecked, the practice will not only tarnish Lagos’ image as Nigeria’s commercial and cultural melting pot but will also erode gains made in promoting national integration and federalism.
“Let aggravated and systemic hatred through public policy be stopped. It is a solemn plea,” he concluded.
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