Otumfuo Postpones Ampabame Chieftaincy Dispute Settlement

The Occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has set aside November 19, 2026, to adjudicate a chieftaincy dispute involving the Ampabame stool.

The case stems from the invocation of Otumfuo’s Great Oath by one Kwadwo Acheampong against the family head (Abusuapanin) over his handling of the selection process for a male candidate to ascend the stool.

Appearing before the Kumasi Traditional Council on November 2, 2026, Acheampong accused the family head of selecting one Kofi Bonsu for the stool without following the customary process of consulting the Obaapanin, while also disregarding the Great Oath.

“We received information inviting all interested candidates to submit their applications. Five people expressed interest. The family head then asked us to attend a meeting to be introduced to the broader family and stool elders who might not know us.

“However, when we gathered, instead of introducing us, the family head proceeded to announce the candidate he had unilaterally selected. I asked if he had consulted the Obaapanin, to which he replied in the negative,” Acheampong told the Council.

He added that he invoked the Great Oath to halt the process, but his action was ignored.

“Despite the oath, he went ahead to announce the candidate,” he stated.

In his defense, the family head denied any knowledge of an oath being invoked at the time the announcement was made. He insisted that he had engaged the stool elders and the heads of the royal gates as required by custom.

In response to these conflicting accounts, Otumfuo called for the heads of the royal gates to step forward. The family head introduced four gate heads to the King.

While three of the gate heads confirmed their participation in the selection process, one head, identified as Akosua Manu, dissented. She testified that the selected candidate was imposed on the family without consensus.

Upon hearing the conflicting testimonies, Otumfuo deferred the final ruling and decided to hear the full case on November 19, 2026, during the Council’s next sitting.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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