Adjena chief rejects Akwamu overlord's call for new chief

The Chief of Adjena, Nana Twum Barimah III, and the community’s kingmakers have rejected a call by the Overlord of Akwamuman, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto, for the installation of a new chief for Adjena.

The reaction follows comments reportedly made by Odeneho Kwafo Akoto at Adumasa on Saturday, September 19, 2026, where he said there was no chief in Adjena and urged the people to allow him to install one to help restore peace.

Addressing a press conference in Adjena on Thursday, September 24, 2026, Nana Twum Barimah III said the claim was inaccurate, insisting that he was the legitimate chief of the community.

He said he had both legal and traditional documents to support his position and was prepared to produce them to establish his legitimacy.

Nana Twum Barimah III further alleged that the dispute was linked to attempts to gain control of lands belonging to the people of Adjena.

He claimed that the proposed installation of another chief was part of an attempt by the Akwamu Overlord to take over the community’s lands.

The Adjena kingmakers also rejected the call and defended the traditional processes through which Nana Twum Barimah III was selected and installed.

The Dispute
The latest disagreement is part of a longstanding dispute involving the Adjena stool, its traditional leadership and its relationship with the Akwamu Traditional Council.

The matter has previously been before the courts. On May 31, 2024, the Somanya High Court ordered the Akwamu Traditional Council to facilitate the formal introduction of Nana Twum Barimah III to the Council and take steps to forward his Chieftaincy Declaration Forms to the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.

The case followed Nana Twum Barimah III’s installation and his subsequent efforts to be formally introduced to the Akwamu Traditional Council.

The court’s decision brought renewed attention to the longstanding issues surrounding the Adjena stool and its relationship with the Akwamu Traditional Council.

Against this background, the comments made at Adumasa on September 19, 2026, have once again brought the dispute into the public domain.

At Thursday’s press conference, Nana Twum Barimah III and the Adjena kingmakers maintained that the community already has a chief and questioned the basis for any attempt to install another person.

They said they would rely on their legal and traditional records to defend their position and protect what they described as the traditional authority and lands of Adjena.