Oloja Stool Crisis: Ruling House petitions Sanwo-Olu over plot to bypass selected candidate

2026-01-28 - 16:33

*Tasks Sanwo-Olu to wade in By Dapo Akinrefon LAGOS—THE Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko ruling house accused a prominent traditional ruler in Lagos State of unlawfully imposing a candidate for the Oloja stool, saying it is in defiance of established tradition and state law. The ruling house, in a petition to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, rejected the announcement of Prince Babajide Kosoko of the Oteniya Ruling House as Oloja of Lagos, describing the move as a breach of the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law and the Registered Declaration of 1983 governing succession to the stool. The family, in a statement by its head and General Secretary, Prince Surajudeen Olojo-Kosoko and Prince Theophilus Olojo-Kosoko, insisted that Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko, from the Akinsanya-Olojo ruling house, remains the duly elected Oloja-Elect. According to the family, Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko was elected by the kingmakers of the King Kosoko Royal Family on December 12, 2020, in what it described as a pr The statement reads: “We write on behalf of the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko ruling house to respectfully seek your urgent intervention in the recent succession process for the Oloja of Lagos stool. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, in a manner that appears full of mischief and contrary to the dictates of both the Obas and Chiefs Law and the Registered 1983 Declaration that governs the orderly rotation and selection of the Oloja of Lagos, Prince Babajide Kosoko of the Oteniya Ruling house was announced as a replacement for Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko of Akinsanya Olojo. “In accordance with those same statutes and centuries-old tradition, the Kingmakers of the Oloja of Lagos of the King Kosoko Royal Family, acting in strict accordance with tradition, elected Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko of the Akinsanya-Olojo ruling house on December 12, 2020, and presented him to the entire family at the King Kosoko’s Palace on December 31, 2020. Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko’s emergence as the Oloja Lagos Elect was formally submitted to your administration for ratification. “Mr Governor, we will like to put it on record that the announcement of Prince Babajide Kosoko of the Oteniya Ruling House and the presentation in the Palace of the Elereko on January 26, 2026, is happening as a result of the pressure and influence of a prominent monarch, who has not only refused to do the needful, but has over time maintained that Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko is not his preferred candidate and has continued to threaten to impose a candidate on the stool as the duly elected Oloja is not acceptable to as his preferred candidate. “The Akinsanya Olojo ruling house is worried about the turns of events without reasonable consultation with the Family. Especially as our ruling house suffered the same shenanigans some years ago, that process produced Chief Adebola Idris Disu Ige. As law-abiding people, we maintained peace and sought legal redress, and even obtained a judgment in our favour. Evidence abounds of the appeal from Chief Adebola Disu Ige, and after his demise, the Akinsanya Olojo ruling house, as the next in succession, was again invited by a letter dated September 19, 2019, to present our candidate. We write to maintain our choice of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko as our preferred candidate for the Oloja-elect. “Your intervention is crucial for three reasons. First, it will ensure legal consistency by reinforcing respect for the 1983 Declaration and the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law, thereby preventing disputes over succession. Second, it will protect the integrity of our cultural traditions, which have been preserved through consultative processes for generations. Third, it will promote social stability by involving all stakeholders: the palace, the ruling houses, and your office in a transparent dialogue that inspires public confidence. “We remain firmly convinced that adhering to these established procedures not only upholds the rule of law but also safeguards the unity and cultural heritage of our community, as two elements appear to enter into the actions made by a prominent traditional ruler, which is first, there is the testimony of traditional history which he intends to shove aside and the destruction of traditional boundaries. These facts are right and we are, therefore, appealing again to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State through the Local Government Chairman to find the time for an urgent intervention. “We shall not rest on our oars in this all-important matter but continue to appeal to God and authorities to do the needful. Accordingly, we humbly request that you review the recent appointment in light of the statutory succession rules, convene all concerned parties to reaffirm a lawful and transparent process, and, pending the outcome of that review, promptly ratify the December 2020 election of Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko. “We place our trust in your commitment to fair governance and the preservation of Lagos’s storied traditions. Your timely guidance will reconcile the interests of all parties and ensure that the next Oloja of Lagos enjoys unquestioned legitimacy.”