Bolin-Lana Mahamadu Abdulai, the Regent of the late Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai IV, has called on Dagombas, especially sympathizers of the Abudu royal family of Dagbon in the Northern Region, to accept the kingmakers’ decision of selecting Yo Na Abukari Mahama II from the Andani royal family as the new Ya Na.

The Bolin-Lana told the media over the weekend that the work of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs is an act of God and the will of God.

He appealed to the people of Dagbon, especially the Abudus to restrain themselves from causing mayhem now that there is peace in the area.

The Bolin-Lana, who was one of the four people who contested to become the Dagbon overlord, said he was not perturbed that he was not chosen.

The leader of the Andani royal family and former Paramount Chief of the Savelugu Traditional Area, Yo Na Abukari Mahama II was announced as the Ya Na-elect to succeed the late Ya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani II after the protracted feud between the Abudu and Andani royal families who are both descendants of Na Gbewa.

A brief background of the new Ya Na

Little is known about the newly-enskinned Ya Na, who is said to go by the skin name, Na Gariba II.

Na Abukari II is a son of Ya Na Mahan-Kpema, who was the great grandfather of the immediate past Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani.

Ya Na Mahan-Kpema is the grandfather of the immediate past Ya Na Andani Yakubu II and father of Na Mahama Andani III (1968-1969).

Ya Na Abukari II is a paternal uncle to the late Ya Na Yakubu II, making him a grandfather to the Kampakuya Na, Regent of Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani II. This also makes Ya Na Abukari II the Da?-kpema (Family Head) of the Andani Royal Family.

The mother of Ya Na Abukari II hailed from Chaazaandaan-Yili near Kulunkpegu in the Northern Region.

Na Abukari II first settled in Puriya, a village after Sang on the Yendi road, as a peasant farmer.

He was enskinned the chief of Kpunkpono, a small farming community in the Mion District by his nephew, Ya Na Yakubu II in the late 90s.

Well over a decade later when Savelugu became vacant, his grandson, then-Kampakuya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani, who was the then-Acting Overlord of Dagbon enskinned him as the Yo Na.

On Friday, 18 January 2019, Dagbon Kingmakers, led by Na Yeb' Ku?na selected Na Alhaji Abukari as the King of one of the oldest monarchies in sub-Sahara Africa.

The new Ya Na is believed to be the reincarnate of Ya Na Gariba, one of the most successful Ya Nas in Dagbon history because both have Mahama as their surnames and both were over 70 years before their ascension to Yeni.

Also, Na Gariba is believed to have had a very healthy relationship with Asanteman, to an extent that an Asante Princess was married off to Na Gariba.

With the Asantehene leading a committee to guide Dagbon to the current peace processes, many Dagbon historians believe that is a reincarnation of the healthy relationship between the two traditional kingdoms in the past.