The King Kosoko Royal Family has announced veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Jide Kosoko, as the Oloja of Lagos-elect, following years of vacancy of the traditional stool.
The position became vacant after the death of Chief Adebola Ige on December 23, 2017. Kosoko, aged 72, was formally unveiled at the King Kosoko Palace in Ereko, Lagos Island, during a gathering attended by members of the royal household and supporters.
The announcement was made by the Olori Ebi General of the King Kosoko Royal Family, Mrs Mutiat Ali-Balogun. As part of long-standing palace tradition, she raised Kosoko’s hand before the gathering, accompanied by prayers and traditional rites. The Deputy Olori Ebi General, Oyindamola Ayepola, who also leads the Meshimo Ruling House, was present during the ceremony.
The declaration, however, comes against the backdrop of an ongoing leadership tussle within the larger King Kosoko Royal Dynasty. Another branch of the family, the Akinsanya Olojo Family, has urged Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to approve the installation of Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as Oloja of Lagos.
The Akinsanya Olojo Family insists that Abiola Olojo-Kosoko emerged as Oloja-elect on December 12, 2020, but has yet to be installed more than four years later. In December 2025, the family formally appealed to the governor, copying several 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.
Speaking on behalf of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko Ruling House, its General Secretary, Theophilus Olojo-Kosoko, said a follow-up letter dated November 28, 2025, was submitted to press for swift government intervention.
He explained that after the death of Chief Ige, a 16-member committee was set up to handle the succession process. According to him, the committee’s recommendations led the King Kosoko Royal Family to direct the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House to present a candidate in line with customary traditions and chieftaincy laws.
He further stated that traditional screenings and interviews held 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. The kingmakers, he said, later adjudged Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as the most qualified and declared him Oloja-elect in line with the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law and the 1983 Registered Declaration.
Meanwhile, Jide Kosoko is expected to undergo traditional installation rites, including capping by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, in line with palace customs and state protocols.
A graduate of Business Administration from Yaba College of Technology, Kosoko began his acting journey in 1964 as a child performer in the television production Makanjuola. He has since built a distinguished career in both English and Yoruba-language films, earning recognition as one of Nollywood’s most enduring screen legends.
