In a somber meeting with the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs on February 10, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama revealed that an estimated 119 lives were lost to violence in Bawku between
2024 and 2025—the very period during which the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Mediation Committee was working to find a traditional resolution.
While the President expressed profound gratitude to the Asantehene for his tireless efforts, he clarified that because a traditional compromise could not be reached, the state must now strictly enforce the existing legal framework.
The Findings of the Otumfuo Report
The Bawku Conflict Mediation Report, presented to the President in December 2025, moved the case from mediation back to the letter of the law. Key conclusions include:
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Legitimate Authority: The report reaffirms that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II (Zug-raan) is the only duly gazetted Bawku Naba and a member of the National House of Chiefs.
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Legal Enforcement: The Asantehene recommended that the state enforce the 1992 Constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court ruling of 2003, which settled the Bawku skin's occupancy.
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The Rival Claim: The report recommends that Seidu Abagare (installed by the Nayiri in 2023) should be recalled to Nalerigu or reside in Bawku as a private citizen, not as a rival chief.
"I cannot be sentimental in implementing the law. Everybody knows what the law states... Naba Abugrago Azoka is gazetted. I cannot have someone who is not gazetted claiming to be Bawku Naba too." — President John Mahama
Beyond Bawku: A Call for Chieftaincy Peace
The President noted that chieftaincy disputes are a broader national challenge, citing several active cases:
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Bolgatanga: A dispute recently adjudicated by the Judicial Committee of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs.
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Sunyani & Sampa: New conflicts emerging following the death of long-reigning traditional leaders.
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Land & Borders: Disputes that are often masked as chieftaincy issues but are rooted in land ownership.
The Role of Traditional Leadership
The President emphasized that in a modern democracy, "violence does not solve the problem," as Ghana is no longer a "jungle" where survival is for the fittest. He urged Chiefs to use their immense influence to act as agents of development and local peace rather than focal points for division.
The Bottom Line
With the Otumfuo Report now forming the basis of government policy, the administration’s priority in 2026 is the "Enforcement of Legal Certainty." By recognizing only the gazetted Bawku Naba, the government aims to end the "rival chief" phenomenon that has fueled violence and claimed over 100 lives in the last two years.
