Profile 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 Daŋ-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 as 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’ Kuɣna 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 peace, many Dagbon historians believe that it is a reincarnation of the healthy relationship between the two traditional kingdoms.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com