Install Kosoko as Oloja of Lagos, Royal Family Tells Sanwo-Olu

Ayodeji Ake

A Lagos Ruling House, the Akinsanya Olojo Family, a branch of the King Kosoko Royal Dynasty, has appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to approve the installation of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as the next Oloja of Lagos.

The family said Prince Abiola was duly selected as the Oloja-elect on December 12, 2020, but has remained uninstalled four years after his emergence.

In a statement addressed to the governor and copied the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government Area, and the Council of Heads of Kosoko Royal Family, the General Secretary of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko Ruling House, Prince Theophilus Olojo-Kosoko, reaffirmed the family’s position.

He noted that a follow-up letter dated November 28, 2025, had also been submitted to all relevant authorities, seeking urgent action on the matter.

According to the statement, the stool became vacant following the death of Chief Adebola Idris Disu Ige on December 23, 2017. After a 16-man committee reviewed the succession process, the King Kosoko Royal Family formally directed the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House to present a candidate in line with customary and chieftaincy procedures.

The screening and traditional interviews, which took place at the Kosoko Palace on October 7, 2020, involved four candidates: Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, the late Prince Shola Olojo-Kosoko, Prince Issa Adeyemi Aregbesola, and Mr. Abiola Yakubu Aromashodu of the Odunsi Ruling House.

The kingmakers reportedly concluded that Prince Abiola was the most suitable and subsequently declared him Oloja-elect on December 12, 2020, in accordance with the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law and the subsisting 1983 Registered Declaration.

The family stressed that neither the judgment of Justice Obadina of the Lagos State High Court nor that of the Court of Appeal nullified the 1983 Registered Declaration, which outlines the succession order.

They explained that letters dated September 26, 2023, and February 20, 2024, were sent to the state government reaffirming their compliance with all required procedures, but no installation approval has been issued.

The statement said: “At this stage, we are compelled to state clearly and firmly that it is the descendants of King Kosoko, the 10th King of Lagos and the first Oloja of Lagos,  who are entitled to the throne.

“The Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House is next in line to present a candidate, and this tradition should be sustained for the dignity of the stool and in accordance with the Akarigbere class hierarchy.”

The family urged the governor to intervene and prevent what they described as attempts to impose a candidate outside the provisions of the 1983 Registered Declaration.

They also expressed willingness to engage with the state government to resolve any concerns causing the delay.

“We hope to be invited for discussions to address the prolonged delay in the confirmation and installation of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko. As responsible members of the royal family, we shall continue to conduct ourselves respectfully in accordance with the laws guiding chieftaincy affairs in Lagos State,” the statement added.