Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II, the Overlord of Dagbon who oversaw the restoration of peace and unity following the kingdom’s 16-year chieftaincy dispute, has died.
The 41st Yaa Naa was en-skinned on January 18, 2019, after a historic peace process ended years of division between the Abudu and Andani royal gates over the Dagbon skin. His enskinnment marked the restoration of traditional leadership in Dagbon after the Yendi skin had remained vacant since 2002.
Throughout his reign, Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II was widely regarded as a unifying figure, championing reconciliation and strengthening peace within the kingdom. Under his leadership, several traditional ceremonies that had been suspended during the prolonged chieftaincy crisis were revived, helping to restore the cultural heritage of Dagbon.
Born Bukali in Mion, Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II was the son of Yaa Naa Mahama II, who ruled Dagbon from 1938 until his death in 1948. His mother, Ayishetu, was a princess from Kulunkpegu, near Chaazaadaanyili in the Northern Region.
Before ascending to the Dagbon skin, he served as chief of Kpunkpono and later occupied the Savelugu skin, one of the three traditional gate skins whose occupants are eligible for selection as Yaa Naa.
The Yendi skin became vacant in 2002 following violent clashes between the Abudu and Andani royal gates, a conflict that claimed lives, deepened divisions and halted many traditional activities in the kingdom. Years of mediation by the government and eminent traditional leaders eventually produced a roadmap for peace, paving the way for his selection and enskinment in 2019.
The death of Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II marks the end of a reign that came to symbolise reconciliation, stability and the rebuilding of Dagbon’s traditional institutions after one of Ghana’s longest-running chieftaincy disputes.
His passing is expected to be met with mourning across Dagbon and beyond, as many reflect on his contribution to peace, unity and the preservation of the kingdom’s rich traditions.
