Lagos royal family seeks intervention over Oba-Elect delayed installation

File: Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu

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Members of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko ruling house of the King Kosoko Royal/Oloja of Lagos Chieftaincy family have appealed to the Lagos State Government and other relevant authorities to intervene in the confirmation of the Oba-Elect for the stool of the Oloja of Lagos.

In a letter dated December 8 and made available to PUNCH Metro on Sunday, the family said the stool had remained vacant since the death of the last occupant more than seven years ago.

The letter was signed by Surajudeen Abiodun Olojo-Kosoko, Head of the Family, and Prince Theophitous Olojo-Kosoko, the General Secretary.

“We, the royal family members of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko ruling house from the King Kosoko Royal/Oloja of Lagos Chieftaincy Family of Lagos, urgently request the intervention of the enabling authorities regarding chieftaincy affairs in Lagos State,” the letter read, with reference to an earlier correspondence dated November 28, 2025.

The family stated that “the stool of the Oloja of Lagos became physically vacant after the demise of Chief Adebola Idris Disu Ige on December 23, 2017,” adding that following the conclusion of a 16-man committee report, the King Kosoko Royal/Oloja of Lagos Chieftaincy Family invited the Akinsanya ruling house to present candidates in line with tradition.

According to the letter, “by the tradition of succession, the Akinsanya ruling house was requested to present its candidates for traditional interactions with kingmakers at the Kosoko Palace on October 7, 2020.”

The family further disclosed that an official letter dated June 24, 2021, from the Lagos Island Local Government, acting on the instruction of the Oba of Lagos, outlined the traditional requirements for filling vacant white-cap stools, including that of the Oloja of Lagos.

They explained that the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko ruling house “created a level playing ground” for all interested candidates, including Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, to obtain screening forms from the palace secretariat.

The letter listed four candidates who were screened and interviewed by the kingmakers: Abiola Kosoko, Prince Shola Olojo-Kosoko (now late), Issa Adeyemi Aregbesola, and Abiola Yakubu Arowomashodu of the Odunsi ruling house.

“At the end of their interrogations and interviews, the kingmakers concluded that the first candidate, Abiola Kosoko, was most suitable for the vacant stool.”

“He was declared elected on December 12, 2020, in accordance with the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law, guided by the Registered Declaration of 1983, which is still valid and subsisting,” the statement read.

The family stressed that “the judgments of Justice Obadina of the Lagos State High Court and that of the Court of Appeal did not nullify the 1983 Registered Declaration.”

They lamented that despite formal communications sent to the state authorities on September 26, 2023, and February 20, 2024, “we have been waiting for years with the hope that the installation approval would be issued and officially communicated to the family.”

Reaffirming their claim to the stool, the family stated, “It is the descendants of King Kosoko, the 10th King of Lagos and the first Oloja of Lagos, that are entitled to the throne of the Oloja of Lagos,” noting that the family is a recognised chieftaincy family in the Akaregbere class.

“This tradition should be sustained for the glory of the stool, tradition and succession rules, and the Akinsanya Olojo is the next ruling house to present a candidate to fill the vacant stool,” the letter added.

The family said it would continue to act “respectfully, reasonably and with utmost regard to all authorities in charge of chieftaincy affairs,” while expressing hope of being invited for dialogue.

“We hope to be invited for discussions to resolve issues surrounding the delay in the confirmation and installation of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko and to address the proposed imposition plan outside the 1983 Registered Declaration,” the letter concluded.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, were unsuccessful on Sunday, as calls and a message sent to inquire about the reason for the delay in confirming the Oba-Elect had yet to receive a response as of the time of filing this report.

This is not the first time ruling houses in the state have raised concerns over delays or alleged deliberate stalling of Oba-Elect installations, with some accusing the state government of acting contrary to the choice of the ruling houses.

A recent case, reported by PUNCH Metro in September, involved the Onikoyi Royal Family of Ikoyi and Imoba Land in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, which protested the installation of Prince Kunle Fafunwa as the Oba Onikoyi, describing the process as a breach of tradition and an affront to established agreements.

Armed with placards, members of the royal family staged a peaceful protest outside the Lagos State House of Assembly, calling on the state government to halt Fafunwa’s coronation.

Uthman, a Mass Communication graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has over six years experience in journalism. He reports crime to community-related news for Metro, business with a focus on the capital market and the oil and gas.

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