“You cannot erase my legacy,” declares Charly Boy as he criticizes Lagos LG for renaming a bus stop after Olamide.

Baddo supplants Charly Boy as Bariga renames streets in honor of celebrities. Charles Oputa, the renowned singer and activist, has unleashed a vehement critique against the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) for rechristening the ‘Charly Boy Bus Stop’ to ‘Baddo Bus Stop’ as part of a recent initiative to rebrand the streets.

Kolade David, the Bariga LCDA chairman, announced the alterations on Friday, paying tribute to Nigerian celebrities and notable figures, including Olamide ‘Baddo’, 9ice, Tony Tetuila, Bukayo Saka, and King Sunny Ade.

Nonetheless, the decision to replace Oputa’s name with ‘Baddo’ incited an instant backlash, with the entertainer denouncing it as an act of “legacy erasure.”

In a post on X, Oputa, widely known as Charly Boy, accused the government of targeting him due to his storied history of activism.

Charly Boy further claimed that the authorities were intimidated by his long-standing defiance against oppression.

“They say they’ve changed the name of Charly Boy Bus Stop. Hmmm. Very interesting. But let me remind you of something simple,” he penned in a blend of Pidgin and English.

“You can rename a place… but you can’t rename a legacy. You can replace the signboard… but you can’t erase the spirit. And you certainly can’t silence a voice that has unsettled your tables for decades!

“This is not merely about a bus stop. This is about fear. Fear of a boy who refused to bow. Fear of a man who challenged the oppressors. Fear of a man who didn’t plead with the system to be accepted.

“So what do timid people do? They alter the name as if it would wash away their shame. Bariga, Gbagada, the entirety of Lagos knows the truth.”

The 75-year-old activist also contended that the original name was conferred by the people, not politicians. He stressed that his influence “transcends physical markers.”

“That name Charly Boy Bus Stop was not bestowed by politicians. It was named by the people, the same people Fada fought for, walked with, and empowered,” he continued.

“They may change the signboard. They may feign forgetfulness. But let me remind them, Area Fada is not finished.

“He didn’t need to sing sweet songs to be accepted. He didn’t need to wear agbada to solicit titles. He’s a movement. He’s an institution. He’s a warning.

“So to all the small minds and timid hearts. You may change the name. But you will never extinguish the legacy.

“This name Charly Boy is etched into the history of Nigeria, boldly inscribed in the streets of Bariga, engraved into the minds of those who still dare to question authority.

“Legacy isn’t on a signboard. It’s in the hearts you transformed, the voices you awakened, and the fear you instilled in corrupt souls.

“So go ahead, change the name. But remember, You can’t change the truth. You can’t extinguish fire. Area Fada is not finished. Still here. Still standing. Still fighting. His legacy? It will outlive you all.”