"Na dem sabi" Charlyboy Responds to Lagos Government’s Renaming of Bus Stop After Olamide Baddo

Veteran entertainer Charles Oputa, widely known as Charly Boy, has offered a brief but telling reaction to the Lagos government’s recent decision to rename the well-known Charly Boy Bus Stop in Bariga to Olamide Baddo Bus Stop, in honor of the celebrated rapper and Bariga native, Olamide Adedeji.

In a conversation with DAILY POST on Saturday, Charly Boy’s succinct response was simply, “Na dem sabi,” suggesting a resigned acceptance or indifference to the change.

This renaming is part of a broader wave of street and location name changes announced during the commissioning of various local projects in Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Friday. Outgoing LCDA Chairman Hon. Kolade David Alabi disclosed these updates as part of his final initiatives in office.

Beyond the bus stop, several other prominent roads and streets in Bariga have been renamed to honor influential Nigerian figures, particularly from the entertainment and sports sectors, reflecting a trend of embedding local landmarks with contemporary cultural icons.

Key changes include Ilaje Road now named King Sunny Ade Road, paying tribute to the legendary Juju musician; Bariga Road rechristened Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way in recognition of the Nigerian president and former Lagos governor; and Community Road in Akoka renamed Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Road for the current Lagos governor.

Additionally, Ajidagan Street has been renamed Olamide Adedeji (Baddo) Street; Ifeanyi Street now honors singer 9ice as Abolore Akande Street; Ayodele Street, Ladi-Lak, has become Tony Tetuila Street, celebrating the Afro-pop veteran; and Ilojo Crescent in Obanikoro now carries the name Bukayo Saka Street, after the Arsenal and England football star of Nigerian descent.

The renaming initiative has sparked considerable debate online. Some social media users questioned the historical accuracy and motivations behind the changes. For instance, a user named Ola on X argued that if the decision-makers were truly familiar with Bariga, they would know the bus stop’s original name is Second Pedro Bus Stop, not Charly Boy Bus Stop—highlighting concerns about political bias distorting communal heritage.

Others, like AKIN OMO AKIN, claimed the “Charly Boy Bus Stop” was never an official designation but rather a self-styled label by the entertainer himself without local government approval.

Meanwhile, some reactions praised the changes, with OG Beeperl asserting that “Baddo is kuku greater than Charly wayray and his entire generation anyway,” reflecting a generational shift in local cultural icons.

Nonetheless, critics have accused the government of allowing political rivalries to influence the renaming, turning what should be a cultural celebration into a divisive issue.

Overall, the developments underscore ongoing tensions in how urban spaces are symbolically claimed, remembered, and reshaped, raising questions about whose legacy is celebrated and how communities negotiate identity amid political and cultural change.