The Office of the Okuapehemaa, Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II, has cautioned former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo against accepting a purported enstoolment as Mmrahene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, describing the process as legally and customarily controversial.
In a press release, the Okuapehemaa’s office said it had taken notice of publications announcing the alleged enstoolment of Sophia Akuffo scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
According to the statement, the ceremony is expected to be conducted by Odehye Kwadwo Kesse, who continues to present himself as Okuapehene under the stool name Oseadeeyo Nana Kwasi Akuffo III despite judicial pronouncements challenging his legitimacy.
The release cited a ruling delivered on April 30, 2020, by the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, which outlined the accepted customary procedures for nominating and enstooling an Okuapehene.
The judgment reportedly stated that the selection process for the Ofori Kuma Stool must involve the Abrewatia of the relevant ruling house, the Asonahene, the Queenmother, and elderly female representatives in accordance with Akuapem tradition.
The Okuapehemaa’s office argued that Odehye Kwadwo Kesse was purportedly enstooled without adhering to those procedures, a position later upheld by the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs.
The statement further disclosed that contempt proceedings were initiated against Odehye Kwadwo Kesse and another individual, Lily Agyemang, at the High Court in Koforidua.
According to the release, the two were convicted for contempt and fined GH¢10,000 each. Although the fines were paid, the office maintained that they had failed to purge themselves of the contempt.
It added that an application for certiorari filed at the Supreme Court to quash the High Court ruling was unanimously dismissed on February 20, 2024, thereby affirming the High Court’s jurisdiction and leaving the contempt convictions intact.
The Office of the Okuapehemaa therefore urged Sophia Akuffo to exercise restraint, insisting that unresolved legal and customary disputes surrounding the authority of Odehye Kwadwo Kesse remain pending.
The statement stressed that Sophia Akuffo’s distinguished career as a jurist and former President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights should not be linked to what it described as a disputed traditional authority process.
“Her Ladyship remains one of Ghana’s most distinguished jurists and internationally celebrated legal personalities whose integrity, stature, and contributions to constitutional governance and the rule of law are deeply respected both within Ghana and beyond,” portions of the statement noted.
The office said its intention was not to undermine the former Chief Justice but to preserve the sanctity of Akuapem customs and shield eminent personalities from unresolved traditional and judicial disputes.
