Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, commiserates with the chiefs and people of the Dagbon Kingdom following the death of Yaa-Naa Abukari Mahama II.
According to Dr Bawumia, the late monarch’s reign was short but impactful, adding that he was a unifying leader whose reign brought peace, stability, and development to the traditional area.
Dr Bawumia, in a statement, described the death of Dagbon overlord as a great loss not only to the kingdom but to Ghana as a whole.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 13, Dr Bawumia wrote, “To Allah we belong completely and to Him shall we return ultimately”.
“It is with grief that I send my sincere condolences to the Chiefs and people of the Dagbon Kingdom on the passing of Ndan Ya-Na Abukari Mahama II.”
“Ndan Ya-Na Abukari II emerged as the King of Dagbon during one of the most challenging periods in Dagbon history, and with ancestral wisdom and patience, he guided the ancient Kingdom towards peace, unity and prosperity,” he said.
“His reign was short but greatly impactful. Through his wise leadership, he united families once broken and healed a society greatly fractured before him. He represented a blend of tradition and modernity perfectly in the way he led Dagbon. He constantly advocated for and lobbied for major developmental projects in Dagbon.”
“At the personal level, I benefited immensely from his counsel during my time as Vice President of Ghana and later, as the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party. It was always an honour to pay him homage at the ancient Gbewaa Palace and to draw from his immeasurable wisdom and guidance.”
“His passing marks a great loss to me, to the Dagbon Kingdom, and to Ghana as a whole.
“May Allah comfort his immediate family, the Chiefs, and people of Dagbon, and Ghana as a whole. It is a painful affliction,” he said.
Dr Bawumia’s statement follows the death of His Royal Majesty Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II, the Overlord of Dagbon.
Yaa Naa Abukari II passed away as the 41st Yaa Naa following his enskinment on January 18, 2019.
The news of the Yaa Naa’s death has plunged the kingdom into mourning.
His passing was announced on Monday, July 13, by the Head of the Dagbon Kingmakers, Kuga Naa Adam Abdulai II, following the performance of customary rites at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.
The announcement was preceded by the sounding of the traditional talking drum and the observance of customary rituals, signalling the death of the Ya-Na.
Meanwhile, preparations are currently underway at the Gbewaa Palace for the burial of the late overlord in accordance with Dagbon customs.
The death of Ya-Na Abukari II marks a substantial moment for the Dagbon Kingdom, with traditional authorities expected to outline the next steps in the succession process after his funeral rites.
The late Ya-Na Abukari II’s ascension to the throne marked a significant moment for the kingdom.
His reign was widely regarded as a period of reconciliation, healing and the restoration of traditional authority in Dagbon.
Ya-Na Abukari II was born in Mion. Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II who was the son of Yaa Naa Mahama II, who ruled Dagbon from 1938 until his death on February 6, 1948.
The late Yaa-Naa’s mother, Ayishetu, was a princess from Kulunkpegu, near Chaazaadaanyili in the Northern Region.
Parts of the late Yaa Naa Abukari II’s biography shared by a GhanaWeb article read, “Before becoming Yaa Naa, he began his traditional leadership journey as chief of Kpunkpono before later ascending to the Savelugu skin.
Savelugu is one of the three traditional gate skins in Dagbon, whose occupants are eligible to be considered for the Yendi throne.
The Yendi skin had remained vacant since 2002 following violent clashes between the Abudu and Andani royal gates, a conflict that deepened divisions within the kingdom and disrupted traditional activities for years.
Following extensive mediation efforts involving Ghana’s government and eminent chiefs, the two factions reached an agreement through a roadmap for peace aimed at restoring stability and resolving the long-standing dispute.
It was under this arrangement that Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II was selected and ordained by the kingmakers of Dagbon in 2019.
As overlord of Dagbon, he was widely recognised as a symbol of unity and worked to strengthen reconciliation between the two royal gates.
His reign also saw the revival of traditional ceremonies that had been suspended for more than a decade due to the chieftaincy crisis”.
See the post below:
DR. MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA CONDOLES WITH DAGBON ON THE ETERNAL TRAVEL OF HIS MAJESTY NDAN YA-NA ABUKARI MAHAMA II. pic.twitter.com/mc3q2DOsTe
— Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (@MBawumia) July 13, 2026
