Veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has voiced his support for the notion that Lagos State does not belong to any particular ethnic group in Nigeria, comparing the coastal city to New York in the United States.
The convener of the "Our Mumu Don Do" movement made this statement during a recent interview on News Central TV, where he described Lagos as "a no man's land" similar to New York City.
"This is our first capital, so it has people from different ethnic groups who make Lagos really bubble. If you are looking at it from that perspective, yes it feels like America, the melting pot of lots of immigrant people," Charly Boy stated.
He further explained, "From that perspective, in terms of people coming together, it is really a no man's land, it's like New York. Lagos is like New York of Nigeria."
The comments come amid Charly Boy's expressed displeasure over the recent renaming of a popular bus stop from his name to "Olamide Baddo," after renowned hip-hop artist Olamide Adedeji, by the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State.
The entertainer, also known as Area Fada, criticized the Lagos State Government for what he described as "being jittery" and "acting out tribal politics" in their approach to governance.
The debate about Lagos' ownership has been a recurring topic in Nigerian political discourse, particularly during election periods, with various ethnic groups staking claims to the state's indigenous status.
Charly Boy's comparison of Lagos to New York highlights the cosmopolitan nature of Nigeria's commercial capital, which has historically served as a melting pot for diverse ethnic groups from across the country.
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