They Can’t Erase Us!’ – Charly Boy Reacts To Lagos LG’s Controversial Move Honoring Olamide

Veteran entertainer and human rights advocate, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has strongly criticized the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State for renaming the well-known Charly Boy Bus Stop after iconic hip-hop artist Olamide Adedeji, widely known as Olamide Badoo.

The council’s outgoing chairman, Kolade David, whose tenure ended on Friday, announced the change as a gesture to honour individuals who have brought pride to Bariga and enhanced Nigeria’s image globally through their artistic contributions.

Reacting via a post on (formerly Twitter), Charly Boy accused the council of acting out of fear and political insecurity. He said the decision was not just symbolic but a deliberate attempt to erase his decades-long legacy of activism, rebellion, and speaking truth to power.

Charly Boy insisted that the bus stop was not named through political influence but was organically named by the people, emphasizing that his legacy cannot be rewritten.

“You can rename a place, but you can’t rename a legacy. You can change a signboard, but not the spirit behind it. And you can’t silence a voice that rattled the system for decades,” he wrote.

He continued:

“This isn’t just about a bus stop. It’s about fear — the fear of a man who refused to kneel, a man who defied the system and fought for the voiceless. So what do insecure people do? They change the name, hoping it’ll wash away their shame.

“Bariga, Gbagada, all of Lagos knows the truth — the name ‘Charly Boy Bus Stop’ wasn’t handed down by politicians, it was given by the people. The same people I marched with, stood for, and inspired.

“Let them replace the sign, pretend not to remember — but let me remind them: ‘Area Fada’ no dey finish. I didn’t sing sweet songs for approval, nor wear agbada to beg for titles. I am a movement. An institution. A warning.

“To all the timid minds, go ahead — change the name. But you cannot erase the truth. The name ‘Charly Boy’ is carved into Nigeria’s history, into the streets of Bariga, and into the hearts of those who dare to resist.

“Legacy isn’t found on signboards — it lives in the hearts I touched, the voices I woke up, and the fear I struck in the hearts of the corrupt. You may change the name, but you’ll never extinguish the fire. ‘Area Fada’ no dey finish.”