Senator Shuaib Salisu, representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, has firmly rejected Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke's claim that Adire, the indigenous Yoruba textile, originated from Osun rather than Ogun State.

The controversy erupted after Governor Adeleke reportedly referred to the Egba people as "thieves" during remarks where he claimed the traditional fabric originated from his state, allegedly saying in Yoruba, "Ole ni won, won ji ni" (They're thieves, they stole it).

Speaking on Tuesday while disbursing N100,000 each to 250 Egba market traders, Senator Salisu maintained that there is no ambiguity about Adire's origins.

"There's no controversy as to where Adire comes from," Salisu stated. "When people try to rewrite history, they should remember... it's like someone creating a controversy about where the birthplace of journalism in Nigeria is. It's like someone trying to argue about where the first educational institution is, or who the first woman to drive a car was."

The senator emphasized the cultural connection between the textile and the Egba people, saying, "Adire is synonymous with Egba; Egba is synonymous with Adire. We recognize that sometimes, when something is good, others want to associate with it. So we feel gratified that we have something good and others are trying to claim it. You may be part of it, but you are not the origin of it."

Empowerment Initiative for Market Women

Beyond addressing the cultural controversy, Senator Salisu explained that his empowerment program aims to transition market women from the informal to the formal economy by providing capital and integrating them into the financial system.

"Women are the nucleus of the family; they are the economic backbone. If you empower a woman, you've empowered a family," he added, highlighting the broader economic significance of the initiative.

The dispute over Adire's origins has sparked reactions across both states, with Ogun Adire traders reportedly calling on Governor Adeleke to retract his statement.

Adire, a hand-painted or resist-dyed cloth produced primarily using indigo, has become increasingly popular in contemporary Nigerian fashion and is widely recognized as a significant cultural heritage of the Egba people of Abeokuta in Ogun State.