The Asabari Vanguard, a socio-cultural group advocating for the interests of Saki indigenes, has strongly condemned the recent criticisms leveled against the Okere of Saki by some Ibadan-based groups.
In a response to the joint statement credited to the Ibadan Mogajis, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), and other Ibadan stakeholders, made available to the press last night, the Vanguard described the attempt to belittle His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr. Khalid Olabisi, as deeply disrespectful and misguided.
According to the response signed by the National President of the group; Alh. Adebimpe Kakabijauta, “the unwarranted criticisms followed the monarch’s efforts urging the state Assembly to address what he considered distortions in the traditional leadership structure in a controversial bill recently passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly”.
Pinpointing the comment referring to the Okere as a “minor” king as offensive and unjustified, the group emphasized that the traditional hierarchy in Ibadan is a unique arrangement created by the Oyo Mesi to prevent infighting among Ibadan warlords—it is peculiar to Ibadan, and neither universally accepted nor rooted in the royal heritage of the Yoruba.
The Vanguard noted that Ibadan, “historically a military camp of the old Oyo Empire, evolved into a large city but does not hold traditional superiority over natural kings such as the Okere of Saki or other Obas in the Oke-Ogun region”. They questioned the royal ancestry of the Ibadan High Chiefs-turned-kings, challenging them to trace their lineage to Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization.
Asabari Vanguard made it clear that while they were not interested in unnecessary confrontations, they will not stand by “while the sacred throne of the Okere is desecrated by unguarded and uninformed remarks”. Saki, they insisted is, “historically, home to the descendants of Oduduwa and boasts a proud history of valor and nobility”.
The group asserted that the “Okere of Saki ranks first among Yoruba Obas in Oyo State, second only to the Alaafin of Oyo, with whom he shares royal lineage. The first Okere, Oba Akinbekun, was a blue-blooded prince from both Ile-Ife and the Bussa Emirate”.
“Known historically as Afogun Sowose—a town of skilled war merchants—Saki has stood in the same location for centuries and has earned its place in Yoruba history. The throne of the Okere deserves full respect and recognition”, the group insisted.
The statement concluded on cautionary note that; “Saki, omo Af’ogun S’owose, beere ki o to wo, ki o ma ba sa gijogijo lojo ogun” translated as; “Saki, town of the war merchants, ask before you enter, lest you flee in confusion when war breaks out.”
