Adire belongs to Egba, Ogun Assembly replies Adeleke

The Ogun State House of Assembly, on Thursday, passed a resolution reaffirming Abeokuta as the authentic and historical home of Adire, the indigenous tie-and-dye fabric, in response to a viral claim by Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

During plenary, the lawmakers unanimously described Adeleke’s comment, alleging that Adire originated from his hometown of Ede and was “stolen” by the Egba people, as misleading and a distortion of cultural history.

In the viral video, Adeleke was seen telling the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, that “Adire started from Ede.”

When Gbajabiamila interjected, saying, “I thought Adire was from Ogun,” Adeleke replied, “They stole it.

The Ogun Assembly, in a resolution, affirmed the Egba ownership of Adire fabric.

This followed a motion moved by Babatunde Tella, seconded by Minority Leader Lukman Adeleye, and supported by all members present.

Tella said, “This resolution is in response to a viral video in which Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, claimed that Adire originated from his hometown of Ede.

In the same clip, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, interjected, affirming Abeokuta as the true origin

He praised Governor Dapo Abiodun for his strategic promotion of the Adire fabric as both a cultural symbol and economic asset, and also acknowledged national leaders who have supported the global visibility of the indigo-dyed textile.

Tella’s remarks were backed by Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye and co-sponsors, Yusuff Amosun and Lukman Atobatele, all of whom reiterated that Adire originated in Egbaland.

As part of the resolution, the assembly urged the Ogun State Government and relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts to preserve and promote the true history of Adire by developing fact-based documentation and multimedia archives to be hosted on the state’s official website.

The lawmakers also commended the Egba people’s historical contribution to the development of Adire and praised the resilience of Adire artisans and traders in keeping the craft alive.

They called on the National Council for Arts and Culture to officially recognise Abeokuta as the home of Adire in Nigeria and support its international promotion.

The motion for the adoption of the debate as the official resolution of the House was moved by Majority Leader, Yusuf Sherif, seconded by Adeleye, and unanimously passed through a voice vote.

Recall that traders of the traditional Adire fabric at the famous Itoku Market in Abeokuta had criticised Adeleke’s remarks, describing them as offensive and historically inaccurate.

The Iyaloja of Kemta Adire/Kampala Market, Mrs Somodale Akamo, expressed anger over what she called a “futile attempt to rewrite well-documented history,” and demanded a public apology from the Osun governor.