In light of the recent commentary by Dr. M.O. Ubani SAN concerning the renaming of Charly Boy Bus Stop to Baddo Bus Stop in Lagos, one must interrogate the emerging practice of emotional blackmail disguised as advocacy for “unity in diversity.” What is unfolding is not a national dialogue on inclusion, but a selective indictment of a people who have historically led in national integration, the Yoruba.

Contrary to revisionist claims, Lagos is not and has never been “no man’s land.” It is the ancestral home of the Aworis and other Yoruba indigenes whose cultural and historical ties to the territory precede both colonial reconfiguration and post-independence urbanization. To delegitimize their sense of place is not merely insensitive ,it is intellectual vandalism.

While people from other regions proudly return “home” during festive seasons, the Yoruba of Lagos have no other homeland. Lagos is both their origin and destiny. The suggestion that Lagos should be stripped of its cultural symbols for the sake of imposed cosmopolitanism is not democratic, it is exploitative.

The renaming of Charly Boy Bus Stop has provoked ire in certain quarters, yet facts remain: the name “Charly Boy” was never formalized by government authority. It evolved from private branding and informal usage not statutory enactment. The Local Government acted within its constitutional remit under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Are we to believe that a Yoruba businessman could install a billboard in Anambra and spontaneously rename a landmark? Would such be tolerated without regulatory scrutiny? Lagosians have complied with legal frameworks and deserve the same courtesy of measured dialogue.

The Southeast, where calls for inclusiveness are loudest, often fails to mirror the tolerance it demands. States like Anambra have publicly declared that civil service employment is reserved for indigenes. Yet, when Lagos engages in legitimate infrastructural decisions, tribal bias is immediately alleged.

No public outcry followed the demolition of Innoson’s headquarters by authorities in his native region. No open letters, no fiery denunciations. But when similar actions occur in Lagos, the reaction is swift and tribalized.

Let history testify: Yoruba states were the first to appoint non-indigenous commissioners, judges, and permanent secretaries. Igbo businesses thrive across Southwest markets. Cultural practices, religious diversity, and regional dialects are embraced. Yoruba hospitality is not anecdotal, it is institutionalized.

By contrast, Yoruba expressions and interests are scarcely accommodated in the Southeast. Where are the Yoruba-named streets in Enugu, Awka, or Aba? Inclusion must be mutual to be meaningful.

Renaming streets, parks, and bus stops is a national norm practiced from Kano to Calabar. Yet, only in Lagos is it interpreted as cultural cleansing. The selection of Olamide, a pan-Nigerian music icon, is hardly a tribal statement. It reflects modern cultural realities and pays homage to creativity and youth influence.

The assertion that this renaming constitutes erasure is not only misleading, it is intellectually dishonest. It presumes that historical sentiment is the monopoly of one ethnic group and that others must perpetually suppress theirs in the name of “unity.”

If unity in diversity is to remain a viable national ethos, then the onus must be shared. Yoruba leaders are no longer obliged to carry the moral weight of national cohesion while their counterparts practice exclusivism unchallenged. The emotional pressure tactics ,shaming, guilt-tripping, reverse psychology must be retired.

Yoruba identity will be safeguarded, and Yoruba interests defended just as others defend theirs. There will be no apologies for lawful governance, cultural affirmation, or historical recognition.

Nigeria’s greatness lies in its plurality, but this diversity must not become a mechanism of imbalance. Respect must be mutual, policies reciprocal, and dialogue sincere. To those who demand tolerance: offer the same. To those who lament erasure: stop practicing it. To those who invoke unity: make it real.

The Yoruba people have earned the right legally, historically, and politically to assert themselves within a nation they’ve helped shape. Lagos will not be surrendered to sentiment, nor will Yoruba identity be traded for silence.

Laoluwa Ogunleye is a public policy analyst