- Prince Olojo-Kosoko of the King Kosoko dynasty was selected for installation as Oloja of Lagos in December 2020.
- The ruling house says all traditional and legal procedures were followed.
- It adds that recent letters to the Lagos government have gone unanswered.
The Akinsanya Olojo Family, a branch of the King Kosoko Royal Dynasty, has appealed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to approve the installation of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as the next Oloja of Lagos, nearly five years after he was declared Oloja-elect.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that, in a statement addressed to the governor and copied to the Secretary to the State Government and several other senior officials, over the weekend, the ruling house reaffirmed that Prince Olojo-Kosoko emerged from a formal selection process in December 2020 and therefore deserves to be installed without further delay.
EDITOR’S PICKS
The General Secretary of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko Ruling House, Prince Theophilus Olojo-Kosoko, said the family had complied fully with chieftaincy procedures and sent multiple reminders to government authorities, most recently in a follow-up letter submitted on November 28, 2025.
Background
The Oloja stool became vacant following the death of Chief Adebola Idris Disu Ige on December 23, 2017. A 16-man committee was subsequently convened to review succession arrangements, after which the King Kosoko Royal Family directed the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House to present a candidate in line with customary and chieftaincy laws.
Screening interviews were conducted at the Kosoko Palace on October 7, 2020, involving 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 were said to have concluded that Prince Abiola was “the most suitable,” and declared him Oloja-elect on December 12, 2020, in accordance with the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law and the 1983 Registered Declaration currently governing succession.
Despite this, the family maintains that approval for installation has stalled, even though letters dated September 26, 2023 and February 20, 2024, also reaffirmed compliance with all required procedures.
‘Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House is next in line’
In the latest statement, the ruling house stressed that court decisions had not invalidated the recognised succession arrangements.
“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,” the statement said.
According to the family, only descendants of King Kosoko — the 10th King of Lagos and the first Oloja of Lagos — 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 ruling house added.
It said it hoped the government would invite the family for discussions to address what it described as a prolonged delay in confirming and installing the Oloja-elect. “At this stage, we are compelled to state clearly and firmly that it is the descendants of King Kosoko… who are entitled to the throne,” the statement emphasised.
“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.
“We hope to be invited for discussions to address the prolonged delay in the confirmation and installation of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko.
FURTHER READING
“As responsible members of the royal family, we shall continue to conduct ourselves respectfully and in accordance with the laws guiding chieftaincy affairs in Lagos State,” the ruling house stated, while appealing for urgent action by the governor.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
Click here to watch the video of the week below:
