Yakubu II
Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II (1945–2002) was the King of Dagbon, the traditional kingdom of the Dagomba people in northern Ghana, from 31 May 1974 until his assassination on 27 March 2002.
For 600 years the Abudu and Andani clans, named after two sons of the ancient Dagbon king Ya Naa Yakubu I, cordially rotated control of the kingdom centred in Yendi, 530 kilometres (330 mi) north of Accra, the capital of Ghana.
[4] A regent (installed on 21 April 2006) acted as sovereign of the kingdom until 18 January 2019 when a new ruler is chosen to occupy the revered Lion Skins of Yendi (Yaan Naa Gariba II) .
[9] News of his death and the gruesome manner in which it took place shook the entire country and has since affected the lives of Dagombas in Ghana and beyond in diverse ways especially with regard to their political affiliations.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings is at the forefront of such accusations stating that he has evidence to support his claims and wishes to be given the platform to expose the contrivers of the assassinations.
[14] In spite of state of affairs, John Agyekum Kufuor was reelected on December 7, 2004,[15] amazing votes in Yendi and Gushiegu parliamentary constituencies, which have strong representation of supporters of Abudu Royal Gate, whiles the rest of Dagbon and most of Northern Ghana voted overwhelmingly for the National Democratic Congress, snatching away some New Patriotic Party parliamentary seats in the process.
Yaa Naa Yakubu II (1945–2002) was born in August 1945 at Sagnarigu, a suburb of Tamale in present-day Northern Ghana.
By the time of his death in March 2002, Yaa Naa Yakubu II had 26 wives,[16] and each of them was similarly conferred with titles in accordance with Dagomba tradition.
He was survived by 103 children[17] including Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Yakubu Andani; his first son and caretaker king of Dagbon.
The perpetrators are believed to have been an assassination squad of Liberian mercenaries brought to Yendi to incapacitate the Yaa-Naa and his bodyguards, paving way for the local militia of Abudu Gate to finish him off.
He was bombarded with firepower and grenades by the armed assassins till his bodyguards and brave young men in his household who swore to protect him were all taken out.
The vicinity was charged with wild jubilations among members of Abudu Gate amid drumming, dancing and singing Dagomba war victory songs.
[21] Famous triumphal rhythm Bangumanga could be heard on loud Talking drum from the house of the leader of Abudus, Bolin Lana Mahamadu Abduliai[22] where the severed head of the Yaa-Naa was presented him.
[24] However the severed head and hand of the king were mysteriously returned to the Yendi District Hospital Morgue where the body was kept by an unknown person.
Yakubu II wielded authority over 2 million people aside from the administrative responsibilities the King of Dagbon traditionally has over acephalous groups like the Konkomba, Bimoba, Chekosi, Basaari, Chamba, Waala, Zantansi, and others.
[34] Yaa-Naa Yakubu II attempted to improve the literacy rate in the Northern Region, where the majority of citizens could not read or write.
President Jerry John Rawlings, 10th Head of state of Ghana and good friend of Yakubu II finally cut sod for establishment of the university in 1992.
Initially, Yaa Naa Yakubu II refused to grant them this request, and this was one of the causes of skirmishes between Konkombas and Dagombas, later culminating into the 1994 Konkomba-Nanumba conflict.
