The Dagbon Royal Family: Abudu, Andani, And The Legacy Of One Father

History is best preserved when it is told accurately.

The Abudu and Andani are often spoken of as though they are two separate royal families. Historically, that is not the case. They are two gates of the same royal family.

Naa Yakubu Nantoo reigned from 1824–1849.

He fathered many children but two sons who would define Dagbon succession for the next two centuries:

• Yaa Naa Andani
• Yaa Naa Abdulai

Kor-Naa Mahami was part of a brotherly succession planned but couldn't get to became a Yaa Naa as a result of death, and the rotation is between Yaa Naa Andani and Yaa Naa Abdulai .

From these sons emerged the Andani Gate, the Abudu Gate. Their descendants went on to occupy important positions in the history of Dagbon, but they never ceased to be one family including the Mahami yili family!

Just as the descendants of different sons of the same father remain one family despite belonging to different households, so too are the Abudu and Andani. The gates exist for the purpose of succession and identifying lines of descent; they do not create separate royal families.

It is therefore more accurate to describe the descendants of Naa Yakubu Nantoo as the Dagbon Royal Family, with the Abudu Gate, the Andani Gate and Mahami Yili forming branches within it.

The Rotation in Practice: Ya-Naas From Both Gates Since 1849

Abudu Gate.

• Naa Abdulai Nagbiogu: 1849–1876
• Naa Alhassan Tipariga: 1899–1917
• Naa Abudu Satan Kugli: 1917–1938
• Naa Mahaman Bila: 1948–1953
• Naa Abdulai Gmarigong: 1953–1968
• Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV: 1969–1974

Andani Gate.

• Naa Andani Naanigoe: 1876–1899
• Naa Mahaman Kpema: 1938–1948
• Naa Andani Zoli-kugli: 1968 — reigned 100 days
• Naa Yakubu Andani II: 31 May 1974 – 27 March 2002

After 2002, a regency held the skin until peace was restored. The kingmakers then enskinned:

• Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama known as Naa Gariba II: 18th January 2019 – 12 July 2026

Why The Gates Matter.
The tradition of alternation between Abudu and Andani following Naa Yakubu’s death in 1849 became the constitutional basis for succession. Disputes arose not because the gates were different families, but because they were competing branches of the same family seeking to honor the rotation.

The Lesson of the Tree.
Naa Yakubu Nantoo remains the root. Abudu and Andani are the branches. A tree may have many branches, but it has only one trunk.

As Dagbon continues to build on the peace achieved over the years, it is worth remembering that unity is not a new idea — it is our original identity. Our forebears belonged to one household before history divided them into gates.

That shared ancestry should continue to inspire mutual respect, reconciliation and the preservation of the dignity of the Dagbon Kingdom.

Long live live Dagbon!