- Falana said arbitrary street renaming in Lagos violates the 1999 Constitution, which vests the responsibility solely in local councils.
- He referenced a court ruling affirming that municipal councils have exclusive powers to name or rename streets within their jurisdictions.
Human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the arbitrary renaming of streets and bus stops in Lagos State, describing the practice as “illegal and undemocratic.”
In a statement on Saturday, Falana condemned the recent change of “Charley Boy Bus Stop” to “Baddo Bus Stop” by Kolade Alabi, former chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Area.
He also faulted reports of streets being named after President Bola Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and industrialist Aliko Dangote’s alleged naming of streets to honour the late Herbert Wigwe and President Tinubu.
According to him, the 1999 Constitution (as amended) vests the responsibility of naming and numbering streets exclusively in local government councils.
Falana referenced the legal precedent set in Chief Obidi Ume v. Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, where the court held that only municipal councils have the authority to name streets and roads within their jurisdiction.
“The usurpation of the exclusive functions of local governments on street naming by certain individuals and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State cannot be justified under the Nigerian Constitution,” Falana said.
He particularly criticised the renaming of the Charley Boy Bus Stop, which he noted had historical significance for the Bariga and Gbagada communities.
“Charley Boy Bus Stop acquired its name sociologically due to its functionality and the positive impact which Charley Boy has historically made in the area.
“Renaming it without consulting the Bariga and Gbagada people smacks of authoritarianism.”
Falana also questioned why colonial-era names linked to oppression have remained untouched while names honouring Nigerians with positive legacies are being changed.
He urged local government legislative arms across Lagos to halt arbitrary street renaming and adopt transparent processes that involve public participation and hearings.
“Streets should not be renamed arbitrarily to please the whims and caprices of political leaders or to promote ethnic chauvinism, especially in a cosmopolitan capital city like Lagos,” he added.