A growing chieftaincy dispute in the Worawora Traditional Area has taken a dramatic legal turn after the High Court in Kumasi restrained the Registrar of the National House of Chiefs from gazetting Yaw Kwapong as Paramount Chief pending the resolution of ongoing judicial and customary proceedings surrounding the stool.
The ruling, delivered by Her Ladyship Justice Enid Marful-Sau, followed an application brought before the court by Abusuapanin Osei Kwame, Obaapanin Ama Pokua Nyarko, and Nana Ama Nyarko Noah, who identified themselves as elders, kingmakers, and members of the Adako Royal Family of Worawora. The applicants sought an order of prohibition to prevent the inclusion of Mr. Kwapong’s name in the National Register of Chiefs while questions over his legitimacy remain unresolved.
According to court filings, the applicants argued that succession to the Worawora stool follows a strict matrilineal system and contended that Mr. Kwapong does not belong to either the maternal or paternal lineage traditionally recognized as eligible to occupy the revered stool.
The legal challenge forms part of a broader and deeply rooted traditional dispute that was earlier referred to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for customary arbitration at the Manhyia Palace in October 2025.
The applicants further maintained that proceedings before the Asantehene allegedly resulted in a directive for the Queen Mother to install a qualified royal in an interim capacity while investigations into the rightful line of succession continued.
Tensions surrounding the Worawora stool dispute intensified in April this year when the Nkosuohemaa of the Adako Oyoko Royal Family, Nana Ama Anowaa, addressed a press conference at Worawora Dwabirem, describing some individuals occupying traditional positions in the area as imposters without legitimate ties to the royal lineage.
Supported by elders, opinion leaders, youth representatives, and members of the royal family, Nana Ama Anowaa insisted that the Adako Royal Family remains the rightful custodian of the Worawora stool based on historical records and oral tradition.
She explained that the Adako lineage traces its ancestral roots to the Ashanti enclave and established the traditional leadership structure in Worawora generations ago. The queen mother also described the people of Worawora as peaceful and hardworking citizens committed to preserving the town’s cultural heritage and traditional authority system.
Nana Ama Anowaa further challenged individuals laying claim to the stool to publicly produce verifiable historical and legal documents to justify their authority or stop presenting themselves as chiefs.
She warned that the escalating chieftaincy tensions and power struggles could threaten peace, unity, and development in the area if urgent interventions were not made.
The queen mother subsequently appealed to security agencies, the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and prevent disturbances in the traditional area.
Nana Ama Anowaa also accused some police officers within the Jasikan area of interfering in local chieftaincy matters and called for investigations into what she described as unprofessional conduct by certain officers.
Despite the pending arbitration process and petitions before the Judicial Committee of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, the applicants alleged that efforts were still underway to process Chieftaincy Declaration Forms and forward Mr. Kwapong’s details to the National House of Chiefs for gazetting.
They described the move as premature, unlawful, and capable of undermining the ongoing adjudicatory process by conferring legitimacy on what they termed an unlawful enstoolment.
The applicants also relied on provisions of the 1992 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759), arguing that although the National House of Chiefs performs administrative functions, its actions remain subject to judicial review where disputes are actively pending before competent adjudicating bodies.
In her ruling, Justice Enid Marful-Sau held that the application was properly brought under Order 55 of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules governing judicial review and orders of prohibition.
The court subsequently restrained the Registrar of the National House of Chiefs, including its agents and assigns, from processing, forwarding, or entering the name of Mr. Kwapong into the National Register of Chiefs for the purpose of gazetting him as Paramount Chief of the Worawora Traditional Area.
The order will remain in force until all petitions before the Judicial Committee of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, together with the related customary arbitration proceedings before the Asantehene, are fully determined.
The case is expected to attract significant national attention due to its potential implications for customary arbitration, judicial oversight, and the administration of chieftaincy matters within Ghana’s traditional governance system.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe/Ahotoronline.com