Chieftaincy Succession Dispute in N anun, N orthem Ghana: Interrogating the Narratives of the Contestants

Abstract

The Nanun chieftaincy dispute involves two persons from the royal gate of
Gbugmayili, both of whom claim to have been selected and enski.ned by the
appropriate traditional authority as the Bimbilla Naa, the overlord of the
Nanumba people of Northern Ghana. The paper critically examines the
narratives of the two contestants in the light of the contested oral traditions
of the population as well available documentmy evidence. Data for this
paper was collected between May and November 2006 and in 2007 and 2009
by observing court proceedings in the Northern Regional House of Chiefs
where the dispute is currently pending. Other data came from reviewing
archival documents relating to the dispute. Informal conversations and indepth interviews were also held with the two main contestants, some of the
kingmakers of the traditional area and with a cross section of the population.
The paper argues that though the dispute is essentially a power struggle
between two princes for the highest traditional office among the Nanumba, it
is also a contest for power between two of Nanim 's most powe1ful
kingmakers, the Kpatihi Naa and the Juo Naa. While interrogating the
narratives of the two contestants, the paper reveals the changing traditions
and the malleability of roles amongst traditional office holders in Nanun.