“Hold Up”—Lisabi Festival Committee Shuts Down Egbaliganza Takeover Talk
By: Abudu Olalekan
Not true, says the Lisabi Festival team – their event won’t morph into some flashy runway named ‘Egbaliganza.’ They stand firm: this gathering still honors the Egba fighter, nothing less. What began long ago stays rooted, untouched by glitz. Tradition leads here, not trends. The spirit hasn’t shifted, despite whispers. Deep respect shapes each moment of the festival. Flashy labels don’t belong in this space. This isn’t about clothes on display. It’s memory kept alive through ceremony. Roots matter more than reinvention.
The web spins odd tales sometimes. One moment someone uploads something, next thing it’s everywhere – spreading wild. Over in Egba territory, chatter exploded overnight; whispers claimed the sacred Lisabi event had been taken over. People typed fast, voices piled up, stories twisted tight.
Folks started whispering things were shifting. Not Lisabi Agbongbo Akala this time – his legend fading into the background. Center spotlight now? A bold new display called “Egbaliganza.” Flash floods of fabric, rhythm, pride rolled together. Dreamed up by none other than the Aare of Egbaland himself, Chief Lai Labode. Tradition dressed loud. The old hero stepped aside, quiet-like, while culture took a glittering turn.
Folks who’ve been around a while weighed in. Humor did not land with them.
Outrage bubbles up from the Lisabi Festival team. Now stepping forward, documents ready, to clear the air. A note bearing the name of Egbaland’s Asipa – Chief Rasheed Raji – labels the spreading rumors as flat-out untrue, twisted, nothing like what really happened. Sharp criticism. The irritation shows through clearly.
Every year, folks gather here because this moment means something deep. Not just noise, not just show – this stands for roots. A long while back, someone stood tall against the heavy weight of empire rule. His name? Lisabi. He didn’t bow. Instead, he pulled courage from silence and changed everything for the Egba. Time folds when you say his name right. You feel it in how people speak low during rituals. One man shaped a future others now walk through. Raji put it plainly: what happens here isn’t meant for selling dreams or trends. Cloth moves slowly in wind, yes – but never as decoration. This soil remembers.
Truth is, they didn’t mean any disrespect toward Egbaliganza. Not even close. In fact, members of the committee called it a solid new idea, giving credit to Chief Labode for lifting up Egba style. Still – here’s where it gets sharp – they’re simply not the same animal.
Just to clear things up, the committee shared what actually happened. Spread across seven days, the festival gives just around two hours to feature Egbaliganza. Two short hours. Not more. This moment, officials said, carries symbolic weight. A gesture of honor. Never intended to shift attention from the deeper roots of the event series.
Lingering questions appear to have roots stretching back months. Following Egbaliganza’s striking entrance during the previous festival season, murmurs began spreading. Bright hues filled the air. Movement pulsed through every corner. A fresh rhythm took hold. Yet amid those early cheers, as journalists clustered together, elders watched closely. In low voices they wondered whether sparkle could slowly drain something sacred from an old tradition.
Now the hush turned into shouting clarity. Ads for Egbaliganza, full of talk about foreign visitors and worldwide image, only poured fuel. Right after, people online started tagging it “Lisabi Festival (Egbaliganza),” a label the group fights hard to erase today.
From the highest levels, the signal was plain. Near the end of their release, Chief Raji’s group echoed what they stand for – almost rhythmic, steady – “Honoring our hero. Honoring our past. Honoring Lisabi.” Each phrase landed like a drumbeat
One moment – the 39th Lisabi Festival begins March 23, 2026, in Abeokuta. Watch closely. This isn’t just noise or color; it’s memory walking through streets. Freedom pulses here, carried on drums, shaped by stories older than stone. A warrior lives inside each dance step. Identity breathes beneath every chant. When voices rise together near the end, listen hard. That roar holds everything.
Egba Agbewa Ooo
