By Ghazali Ibrahim
A Lagos State High Court has ordered Prince Babajide (Jide) Kosoko to stop parading himself as the Oloja of Lagos-elect, while also restraining the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and other parties from taking further steps in the disputed selection process pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Justice Olalekan Oresanya gave the order after dismissing a preliminary objection filed by Prince Babajide Kosoko, who had challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
The objection was supported by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu.
The suit was instituted by the Head of the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House, Prince Surajudeen Olojo-Kosoko; the General Secretary of the ruling house, Prince Theophilus Olojo-Kosoko; and Prince Abiola Kosoko, on behalf of themselves and the Akinsanya Olojo-Kosoko Ruling House.
Other defendants in the suit include the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, the Executive Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government, Prince Babajide Kosoko, Mr. Muritala Kosoko and Mr. Tunji Kosoko.
The claimants, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olusegun Fabunmi, are challenging what they described as attempts to replace Prince Abiola Kosoko, whom they said was duly nominated by the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House as its candidate for the Oloja of Lagos stool.
In his preliminary objection, counsel to Prince Babajide Kosoko, Dayo Oshodi (SAN), argued that the dispute bordered on the nomination, selection and installation of a traditional ruler, matters governed by customary law and the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law. He urged the court to decline jurisdiction and dismiss the suit.
The claimants, however, maintained that the nomination process had been concluded in 2020 with the emergence of Prince Abiola Kosoko as the ruling house’s candidate.
They alleged that following a disagreement over land, some of the defendants disregarded the earlier nomination and began processing the candidacy of other princes.
In his ruling, Justice Oresanya held that the claimants had established a reasonable cause of action deserving judicial determination.
He ruled that the issues raised in the objection required evidence and could not be resolved at the preliminary stage.
“I find no merit in the preliminary objection filed by the fifth defendant. The objection is overruled, and the application is accordingly dismissed,” the judge held.
While the court declined to grant the claimants’ request for an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from recommending, selecting, nominating, appointing or installing another person as Oloja of Lagos pending the outcome of the suit, Justice Oresanya ruled that granting such relief would amount to deciding the substantive issues before trial.
Instead, the court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo by preserving the situation that existed before the alleged nomination of the fifth and sixth defendants.
The court further affirmed that Prince Abiola Olojo-Kosoko remains the recognised Oloja of Lagos-elect pending the final determination of the case and directed that the matter be given accelerated hearing.
The case was adjourned to October 6, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit.
