A renewed succession dispute has emerged within the Kosoko Royal Family over the Oloja of Lagos chieftaincy stool, with Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko restating that he remains the only duly recognised Oloja-elect in line with extant laws and established custom.
Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, a Higher National Diploma holder in Wildlife Planning and Tourism Master Plan Designing from Lagos State Polytechnic, is widely known for his work in environmental conservation, tourism development and cultural preservation. He currently serves as Chief Conservationist and Curator of Origin Gardens and Zoo and is the founder of the Museum for Climate Change, a project focused on public education about climate change and global warming. For over two decades, he has consistently advocated personal responsibility in addressing environmental challenges.
Beyond his environmental engagements, Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko is also a prominent cultural promoter and historian of Lagos’s indigenous people. However, his current public attention is largely centred on the unresolved succession to the Oloja of Lagos stool, a position within the Kosoko Royal Family.
According to him, the Obas and Chiefs of Lagos State Law governs the selection of the Oloja of Lagos and clearly recognises nine ruling houses within the Kosoko Royal Family. He states that he belongs to the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House, which is listed as number one on the Registered Declaration and is next in line to produce the Oloja of Lagos. On this basis, he maintains that he is the legitimate Oloja-elect.
He acknowledges that there has been a rival claim, which he describes as the outcome of a “palace coup” allegedly initiated by five individuals within the family. Among them, he notes, is the head of the Meshimo Ruling House and the Deputy Olori-Ebi of the Kosoko Royal Family. He also references Prince Jide Kosoko, head of the Oteniya Ruling House, who has publicly laid claim to the title of Oloja-elect. Prince Abiola insists that the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House has never been officially informed of any valid reason to displace its turn in the succession, adding that the action did not reflect the consensus of the duly constituted kingmakers.
Explaining the traditional process, Prince Abiola notes that the Registered Declaration provides that once a vacancy occurs, the competent authority within the Council of Heads of Families of the Kosoko descendants must announce the ruling house entitled to present candidates. Beyond lineage, aspirants are required to present a clear vision and plans for the role, effectively a manifesto, to convince the kingmakers of their suitability.
The process leading to his emergence, he said, began after the death of the last Oloja of Lagos, Chief Adebola Idris Disu Ige, in 2017. The Olori-Ebi of the King Kosoko Royal Family, Alhaja Chief Mutiat Ashabi Abimbola Alli-Balogun, formally directed the family’s General Secretary, Prince Sikiru Adeoye Kosoko, to notify the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House of the vacancy and request the nomination of a candidate.
Within the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House, seven kingmakers supervised the selection. Eleven individuals initially expressed interest, but nine later withdrew, leaving Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko and Isah Aregbe to be screened. At the conclusion of the process, Prince Abiola received four votes to Aregbe’s three. His nomination was subsequently forwarded to the Olori-Ebi.
Following objections from some dissatisfied family members, the matter was escalated to the broader Oloja-in-Council, made up of the heads of the nine ruling houses of the Kosoko Royal Family. To ensure fairness and forestall unrest, the Olori-Ebi approved a rerun of the process under the supervision of the family’s legal adviser, Barrister Tokunbo King.
During this stage, all aspirants were required to formally obtain nomination forms. One aspirant, Mr Yakubu Abiola Aromashodu of the Odunsi Ruling House, was disqualified for participating out of turn, as the Odunsi Ruling House is ninth on the Registered Declaration of 1983. The kingmakers reaffirmed that only candidates from the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House were eligible at that time. Eventually, three candidates—Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, Prince Olusola Olojo-Kosoko and Alhaji Isa Adeyemi Aregbesola—were screened.
After individual interviews, the kingmakers convened to announce their decision. On 12 December 2020, all nine kingmakers unanimously voted in favour of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko. The date of 31 December 2020 was then fixed for his formal presentation to the wider Kosoko Royal Family.
That presentation took place at Ereko Palace, the official residence of the Oloja of Lagos. In line with custom and tradition, Prince Abiola was ceremonially led into the palace, and his hand was raised for members of the family to pay homage. A subsequent letter of approval issued by the Olori-Ebi on 4 January 2021 formally concluded the nomination and ratification process at the family level.
Under the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, the next step required the consent of the Oba of Lagos, who serves as Chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs of Lagos Island Local Government. Prince Abiola notes that more than five years later, this consent has yet to be given, leaving the matter unresolved.
He dismisses the rival claim by Prince Jide Kosoko, stressing that the Oteniya Ruling House, from which Prince Jide hails, is eighth on the succession list and therefore not eligible at this stage. He adds that Prince Jide Kosoko currently serves as head of the Oteniya Ruling House, Chairman of the King Kosoko Family Central Working Committee and former Chairman of the Kosoko Reconciliation Committee.
The dispute has since moved to the courts. Prince Abiola explains that the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House sought judicial intervention to affirm its position as the rightful next house in succession under the Obas and Chiefs of Lagos State Law of 1981. He expresses confidence that the judiciary will provide clarity, preserve the integrity of official records and serve as a deterrent against future divisive actions within the family.
On a personal level, Prince Abiola describes the situation as particularly painful, noting that Prince Jide Kosoko was once a trusted elder and confidant. He recalls that Prince Jide was present during his public presentation at Ereko Palace in December 2020, alongside others he now associates with what he terms a palace coup.
Beyond the chieftaincy dispute, Prince Abiola has continued to pursue cultural and heritage initiatives tied to his vision for the Oloja stool. As part of his manifesto, he embarked on a comprehensive rebranding of the King Kosoko Royal Family, including the introduction of official logos and structured cultural, educational and social programmes. He says these initiatives have been funded largely from his personal resources, with support from friends and well-wishers.
A major focus of his efforts has been the rehabilitation of the 160-year-old Ereko Palace, which he describes as previously congested, dilapidated, below road level and lacking basic facilities. Over the past five years, he says, significant work has been carried out to restore the palace to a condition befitting its historical and royal status.
In addition, he established the King Kosoko Memorial Museum and instituted the annual King Kosoko Memorial Lecture. The museum, he explains, serves as a living archive that preserves artefacts, oral histories and visual records of the Kosoko family’s legacy across Lagos, the Benin Republic and Ghana. The project has featured in several exhibitions, attracted diplomatic visitors and received recognition from both government and non-governmental bodies.
Prince Abiola says the institutionalisation of King Kosoko’s memory is aimed at educating younger generations about their heritage while transforming private family histories into public cultural assets. He believes the growing visibility and influence of these initiatives may have unsettled some interests within the family.
He maintains that adopting the King Kosoko name across his projects is an act of homage to his ancestors and a deliberate effort to bridge generations, even as the legal and traditional battle over the Oloja of Lagos stool continues unresolved.