JIDE KOSOKO DECLARED OLOJA OF LAGOS-ELECT BY THE KING KOSOKO ROYAL FAMILY
Read Time:2 Minute, 30 Second
By: Fasasi Hammad
The King Kosoko Royal Family has announced veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Jide Kosoko, as the Oloja of Lagos-elect, following the prolonged vacancy of the traditional stool.
The position became vacant after the death of Chief Adebola Ige on December 23, 2017.
Kosoko, 72, was formally presented as Oloja-elect at the King Kosoko Palace in Ereko, Lagos Island, before a large gathering of royal family members and well-wishers.
The declaration was made by the Olori Ebi General of the King Kosoko Royal Family, Mrs Mutiat Ali-Balogun, who, in accordance with long-established palace customs, raised Kosoko’s hand in affirmation amid traditional rites and prayers. She was supported by the Deputy Olori Ebi General, Oyindamola Ayepola, who also heads the Meshimo Ruling House.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of an ongoing succession dispute within the broader King Kosoko Royal Dynasty. Another branch of the family, the Akinsanya Olojo Family, has petitioned Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to approve the installation of Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as Oloja of Lagos.
In December 2025, the Akinsanya Olojo Family maintained that Abiola Olojo-Kosoko was selected as Oloja-elect on December 12, 2020, but has yet to be installed more than four years later. The appeal was contained in a formal letter addressed to the governor and copied to key state officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government, and the Council of Heads of the Kosoko Royal Family.
The General Secretary of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko Ruling House, Theophilus Olojo-Kosoko, reaffirmed the family’s stance, disclosing that a follow-up letter dated November 28, 2025, was submitted to press for urgent government intervention.
He explained that following Chief Ige’s death, a 16-member committee was set up to review the succession process. After its deliberations, the King Kosoko Royal Family reportedly directed the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House to present a nominee in line with customary and chieftaincy laws.
According to him, screening and traditional interviews conducted at the Kosoko Palace on October 7, 2020, involved four aspirants: Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, the late Shola Olojo-Kosoko, Issa Aregbesola and Abiola Aromashodu of the Odunsi Ruling House. He said the kingmakers eventually adjudged Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as the most qualified and declared him Oloja-elect on December 12, 2020, in line with the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law and the 1983 Registered Declaration.
Meanwhile, Jide Kosoko is expected to undergo traditional installation and capping by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, in accordance with established palace protocols and state traditions.
Kosoko, a graduate of Business Administration from Yaba College of Technology, began his acting career in 1964 as a child actor in the television production Makanjuola. He has since appeared in numerous Nollywood films in both English and Yoruba, earning widespread recognition as one of Nigeria’s most respected screen veterans.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0