The King Kosoko Royal Family has declared veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Prince Jide Kosoko, as the Oloja of Lagos-elect.
The stool became vacant following the death of Chief Adebola Ige on December 23, 2017.
Kosoko, aged 72, was formally presented at the King Kosoko Palace in Ereko, Lagos Island, before a large gathering of royal family members and well-wishers.
The announcement was made by the Olori Ebi General of the King Kosoko Royal Family, Mrs Mutiat Ali-Balogun, who, in line with long-standing palace tradition, raised Kosoko’s hand in affirmation, accompanied by prayers and traditional rites. She was supported by the Deputy Olori Ebi General, Oyindamola Ayepola, who also leads the Meshimo Ruling House.
The declaration comes amid a lingering succession dispute within the broader King Kosoko Royal Dynasty. Another faction, the Akinsanya Olojo Family, has appealed to 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 reiterated 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 communicated through a formal letter 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, said a follow-up letter dated November 28, 2025, was also submitted to seek urgent government intervention.
He explained that following the death of Chief Ige, a 16-member committee was set up to oversee the succession process. According to him, the King Kosoko Royal Family subsequently directed the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House to present a nominee in line with customary and chieftaincy laws.
Olojo-Kosoko said traditional screening and 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 added that 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 capping and installation by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, in accordance with established palace customs and state traditions.
Kosoko, a Business Administration graduate of Yaba College of Technology, began his acting career in 1964 as a child actor in the television production Makanjuola. He has since featured in numerous English and Yoruba Nollywood films and is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most respected screen veterans.
Elijah Adeyemi
