The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the recent renaming of streets in certain of the state’s local government districts.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the recent renaming of streets and other sites in the state has resulted in angry reactions and protests.
In a statement issued Thursday in Lagos, PDP Vice-Chairman (Lagos Central), Mr. Hakeem Olalemi, who encouraged the ruling party to tread carefully, said that the remaining targets are members of society.
“The Lagos PDP is hereby rejecting in totality the renaming of streets by some council chairmen. We should erase history because of politics.
“It is against the spirit of unity in diversity, and it will certainly affect the image of the state as a cosmopolitan state.
“We should be seen to be promoting unity and not to give the wrong impression to non-indigenes in the state.
“We have various ethnic nationalists in our state, who have contributed immensely to the development of our state, hence the reason why some streets were named after them initially.
“This current action by some council executives should be reconsidered. Most of the streets affected were bearing Igbo names before, and this leaves so many questions in the hearts of non-indigenes.”
While describing the street remaining as totally unconstitutional, the PDP that the decision and consequent reactions showed that some leaders failed to consult widely.
“The APC should, as a matter of fact, revert to the status quo.
“If the steps were not reversed, the party could seek legal redress in court in order to preserve the identity of Lagos State as a cosmopolitan state.
“We cannot erase history in the name of politics. The ruling party should know that this renaming of streets arbitrarily can lead to riot, unrest, and serious chaos if care is not taken,” he said.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has also recently condemned the change of street names as unconstitutional.
According to NAN, residents of the Ilaje community in the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the state had staged a protest on Wednesday, rejecting the recent renaming of their street, ‘Ilaje Road,’ to ‘King Sunny Ade Road.’
