The drums of Dagbon fell silent this week as reports circulated that Ya-Na Abukari II, the traditional king of Dagbon, had died after a short illness. The post shared widely on social media, described him as “one of Ghana’s most influential traditional kings.” As of press time, the Dagbon Traditional Council had issued an official statement confirmed the news. But in Yendi, in Tamale, and across the kingdom, the question is already being asked: If the king is gone, what happens to the peace he embodied?
1. The King Who Inherited a War and Brokered Peace
Ya-Na Abukari II ascended the skins in January 2019, ending a 17-year interregnum that followed the March 2002 murder of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II. That killing split Dagbon along Abudu and Andani lines and plunged the kingdom into deadly violence. For nearly two decades, Yendi had no substantive overlord.
The breakthrough came through the Committee of Eminent Chiefs, chaired by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, with the Nayiri and Yagbonwura. Their Dagbon Constitutional Arrangement, accepted by both gates in November 2018, became the blueprint for peace.
Key terms of the 2018 roadmap:
1. Rotation restored: The Abudu and Andani gates would take turns occupying the skins of Yendi. Abukari II, an Andani, was enskinned first.
2. Funerals first: The final funeral rites of Ya-Na Mahamadu Abdulai IV (Abudu) and Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II (Andani) were performed in December 2018 and January 2019. That closed the chapter of disputed deaths.
3. Reforms to succession: The roadmap amended parts of Dagbon custom to reduce ambiguity. Only occupants of the “gate skins” of Karaga, Savelugu, and Mion — all occupied by eligible royals — could ascend to Yendi.
4. Ban on arms in palaces: A government-backed disarmament deal was tied to the peace process.
Ya-Na Abukari II’s reign was defined by reconciliation. He toured Abudu communities. He reconstituted the Dagbon Traditional Council with both gates represented. He backed the Dagbon Development Agenda and pushed for the Yendi Water Project and the Eastern Corridor Road. In 2023, he hosted both President Akufo-Addo and John Mahama at Gbewaa Palace — a symbolic act of neutrality.
2. What His Death Would Mean for the Peace Accord
The 2018 roadmap was designed to outlive individuals. But personalities matter in chieftaincy. Three risks emerge if the king has indeed passed:
Risk 1: Timing of Succession
The peace hinges on predictable rotation. Because Abukari II was Andani, the next Ya-Na must come from the Abudu gate, per the roadmap. Any attempt to delay or alter that would revive the 2002 crisis. The Dagbon Constitutional Arrangement says the regent, usually the eldest son of the late king, holds the palace for the funeral period, not longer. After the funeral, kingmakers move.
Risk 2: The Gate Skins Problem
To be eligible, an Abudu royal must first be chief of Karaga, Savelugu, or Mion. As of mid-2026, Karaga is vacant after the death of Karaga-Na Abdulai Nantogma. Mion-Lana Abdulai Mahamadu is elderly. Savelugu-Na is the most likely candidate. If the gate skins themselves are contested, the process stalls. The roadmap anticipated this: Article 6 mandates that the Committee of Eminent Chiefs reconvenes if a deadlock lasts more than 6 months.
Risk 3: Political Interference
Dagbon’s peace has held through two elections — 2020 and 2024 — because the Ya-Na stayed above politics. With 2028 polls approaching, both NPP and NDC have interests in Yendi. Security analysts fear political actors could back rival claimants. National Security Ministry Regulation L.I. 2313 classifies chieftaincy disputes as “national security threats.” The state is expected to deploy DISEC and REGSEC to prevent mobilization.
3. The Succession Plan — What Was Agreed in 2018
The roadmap didn’t just name Abukari II. It laid out the next 40 years. Here’s the sequence as captured in the Mediation Committee’s Final Report, accepted by government in November 2018:
1. 2019-2039: Abukari II’s reign. Upon his death, an Abudu royal takes over.
2. 2039-2059: Next Andani turn.
3. Gate skin primacy: No one can leapfrog to Yendi without first passing through Karaga, Savelugu, or Mion. That rule was to stop the “outsider chiefs” who fueled past disputes.
4. Funeral timelines: A late Ya-Na’s funeral must be performed within 12 months. During that time, the Kuga-Na and elders form a funeral committee. The regent cannot make substantive decisions.
5. Role of Otumfuo: The Asantehene remains guarantor. Any breach of the roadmap goes back to Manhyia for arbitration before court.
The plan was backed by Act 759, Chieftaincy Act 2008, Section 58, which gives settlements by customary arbitration the force of law if registered. The Dagbon accord was gazetted in February 2019.
4. Voices from Dagbon
Reached by phone, historian, said: “The roadmap is stronger than in 2002. But it has never been tested by a succession. The real work starts now. The Abudu gate must present a candidate quickly and the Committee of Eminent Chiefs must be visible.”
A youth leader in Yendi, who asked not to be named, said: “We have tasted peace. Business is back. Our children go to school without gunshots. Nobody wants to return to 2002. But we are watching the elders.”
5. What to Watch in the Coming Months
1. Official confirmation: The Dagbon Traditional Council and the Ministry of Chieftaincy must confirm the king’s status. Until then, all commentary remains speculative.
2. Funeral dates: If confirmed, tradition requires the funeral be announced within 7 days. The length of the mourning period will signal unity.
3. Abudu caucus: The Abudu family will meet at Naa-Yab Kug Naa’s palace to select a candidate from the eligible gate skins.
4. Government posture: Article 270(1), 1992 Constitution bars government from meddling in chieftaincy. But REGSEC will be on alert. The last thing Accra wants is a Dagbon flare-up before 2028.
5. Otumfuo’s role: The Asantehene’s first public statement will set the tone. In 2019, his presence in Yendi calmed nerves.
Peace as a Process, Not a Person
Ya-Na Abukari II didn’t just wear the lion skin. He carried the weight of a settlement. If the reports are true, Dagbon mourns a king. But the kingdom will be judged by whether the system he helped build survives him.
The 2018 roadmap was Ghana’s most successful traditional peace deal. It worked because it replaced vengeance with procedure. The next 6 months will test whether procedure can beat politics, age-old rivalry, and grief.
In Dagbon, they say: “When the baobab falls, the little trees must not fight over its shadow.” The baobab may have fallen. The shadow — the peace — must remain.
Alexander Afriyie, supervising editor, ghanacrimereport.com and ghanatalk.com