Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has destooled the paramount Chief of Kenyase No. 2, Nana Kwabena Nsia Ababio, following severe violations of Asante customs and traditional authority.
The decision was announced on Monday, July 27, 2026, during a sitting of the Asanteman Traditional Council, bringing an end to Nana Ababio’s landmark reign of more than 70 years.
In accordance with traditional protocol, designated officials removed the chief’s footwear upon his destoolment, and a ram was slaughtered to solemnise the action
Nearly all kingmakers under the Kenyase No. 2 stool were destooled alongside the chief after being found guilty of breaching their oath of office.
However, the Asantehene spared the Kontihene and reinstated previously destooled linguists and council officers, directing them to assist the Queen Mother in managing the area’s affairs until a successor is installed.
Otumfuo cited repeated disregard for traditional hierarchy and unauthorised creation of traditional titles as the primary grounds for the action.
He noted that he had issued several prior warnings to the chief regarding these infractions.
Specifically, the Asantehene reprimanded the chief for creating titles such as Hyiawohene, Akyempimhene, Sumankwaahene, Anantahene, and Atipimhene without authorisation.
He emphasised that the chief, having originally served as a courtier in Hyiawohemaa’s house, lacked the traditional authority to establish those positions, and reminded him that the land occupied by Kenyase No. 2 ultimately belongs to the Kenyasehene.
The Chief was further found to have improperly allocated these unauthorised stools to his children and sisters in direct contravention of Asante custom.
The Council’s review was triggered when Nana Ababio submitted a letter to the Registrar of the Asanteman Council seeking to destool the Queen Mother of Kenyase No. 2, Nana Akua Tikwamaa.
In his petition, the chief levelled ten distinct allegations against the Queen Mother, including gross insubordination, indiscriminate land sales, deployment of land guards, unauthorised use of official letterheads, and the unlawful destoolment of sub-chiefs.
Appearing before the Asanteman Traditional Council, Queen Mother Nana Akua Tikwamaa refuted all allegations, testifying that land transactions attributed to her were conducted at the chief’s direction and noting that the sub-chiefs she allegedly destooled remained actively at post.
Countering the petition, Nana Akua exposed widespread irregularities within the traditional council, alleging that the chief’s spouse, alongside select traditional officers and a local Town Planning Officer, had usurped royal authority, forged documents, and engaged in illegal land sales.
Upon reviewing the evidence, the Asanteman Traditional Council vindicated the Queen Mother and found the Paramount Chief and his supporting kingmakers guilty of customary infractions, resulting in their immediate destoolment.
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