Yaa Naa Mahama Abubakari II laid to rest at dawn in Yendi

The Dagbon Kingdom has laid its revered overlord, Yaa Naa Mahama Abubakari II, to rest after a solemn dawn burial at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, marking the end of an era defined by peace, reconciliation and unity.

In keeping with centuries-old Dagbon customs, the 41st Yaa Naa was interred at the royal mausoleum before sunrise following sacred rites performed by the Kuga Naa, regarded as the traditional father of Dagbon, together with the Dagbon Consecrated Council of Elders.

The burial ceremony brought a quiet close to days of mourning, as the rhythmic sounds of royal drums that had echoed across Yendi gradually gave way to subdued funeral beats befitting the passing of a king.

Customary rites began with the formal announcement of the burial by the Kuga Naa, followed by traditional purification rituals within the Gbewaa Palace before the late monarch was committed to the royal mausoleum.

Security was heightened throughout Yendi as paramount chiefs and traditional leaders whose skins derive authority from the Yaa Naa gathered to pay their final respects to the late ruler.

Royal drummers recited the ancestral lineage of the deceased king in a solemn performance, replacing the celebratory bangumanga rhythms traditionally reserved for a reigning Yaa Naa.

In accordance with Dagbon tradition, only selected elders and members of the royal family were permitted to witness the final burial rites inside the mausoleum.

Yaa Naa Mahama Abubakari II ascended the Dagbon throne on January 25, 2019, at the age of 87, following the successful mediation efforts of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs, which helped resolve the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy conflict.

His enskinment marked a historic turning point for the kingdom, bringing stability after years of tension that followed the 2002 conflict between the Andani and Abudu royal gates.

Throughout his reign, the late overlord earned widespread respect for championing reconciliation, promoting peaceful coexistence and restoring confidence in the traditional leadership of Dagbon.

Traditional rulers, government officials, and mourners from across Northern Ghana joined residents of Yendi to honour a monarch whose leadership became synonymous with healing and unity.

With the burial rites now completed, the kingdom turns its attention to the next phase of the traditional succession process.

The late Yaa Naa’s eldest son is expected to be enskinned as Kpampayaa Naa, assuming the role of Regent to oversee the affairs of the kingdom alongside the Council of Elders until the final funeral rites are concluded and a new Yaa Naa is selected.

As Dagbon enters this transitional period, the kingdom continues to mourn the passing of a ruler remembered for guiding one of Ghana’s most influential traditional states through a defining chapter of peace and restoration.

Yaw Opoku Amoako

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