King Kosoko Royal Family Names Jide Kosoko as Oloja of Lagos-Elect

The King Kosoko Royal Family has formally announced veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Jide Kosoko, as the Oloja of Lagos-elect.

The stool became vacant after the passing of Chief Adebola Ige on December 23, 2017. Kosoko, who is 72 years old, was presented to members of the royal family and the public at the King Kosoko Palace in Ereko, Lagos Island, during a ceremony attended by relatives and supporters.

The declaration was made by the Olori Ebi General of the King Kosoko Royal Family, Mrs Mutiat Ali-Balogun. In line with established palace tradition, she raised Kosoko’s hand before the gathering, accompanied by prayers and customary rites. She was joined by the Deputy Olori Ebi General, Oyindamola Ayepola, who also serves as head of the Meshimo Ruling House.

The announcement comes amid an unresolved succession controversy within the broader King Kosoko Royal Dynasty. Another branch of the family, the Akinsanya Olojo Family, has written to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging him 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 remains uninstalled more than four years later. The appeal was contained in a formal letter addressed to the governor and copied to key government 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.

Olojo-Kosoko further stated that screenings and traditional interviews conducted at the Kosoko Palace on October 7, 2020, involved four contenders: Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, the late Shola Olojo-Kosoko, Issa Aregbesola, and Abiola Aromashodu of the Odunsi Ruling House. He added that the kingmakers eventually rated Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as 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.

Meanwhile, Jide Kosoko is expected to undergo traditional rites, including installation and capping by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, in line with 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. Over the decades, he has appeared in numerous English and Yoruba-language films, earning a reputation as one of Nollywood’s most respected veterans.