The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed his condolences to the chiefs and people of the Dagbon Kingdom following the death of Ya-Na Abukari Mahama II.

He described the late overlord’s passing as a great loss to Dagbon and the nation.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 13, Dr Bawumia said he received news of the Ya-Na’s death with grief and extended his sympathies to the royal family and the people of Dagbon.

Dr Bawumia said the late Ya-Na ascended the Dagbon skin during one of the most difficult periods in the kingdom’s history and successfully guided the traditional area towards peace, unity and development.

“Ndan Ya-Na Abukari II emerged as the King of Dagbon during one of the most challenging periods in Dagbon history, and with ancestral wisdom and patience, he guided the ancient Kingdom towards peace, unity and prosperity,” he stated.

According to the former Vice President of Ghana, although the Ya-Na’s reign was relatively short, it left a lasting impact on the kingdom through efforts to promote reconciliation and development.

He noted that the late king “united families once broken and healed a society greatly fractured before him,” adding that he also “constantly advocated for and lobbied for major developmental projects in Dagbon.”

Reflecting on his personal relationship with the late monarch, Dr Bawumia said he benefited immensely from the Ya-Na’s counsel during his tenure as Vice President of Ghana and later as the NPP’s presidential candidate.

“It was always an honor to pay him homage at the ancient Gbewaa Palace and to draw from his immeasurable wisdom and guidance,” he said, adding that the Ya-Na’s death was “a great loss to me, to the Dagbon Kingdom, and to Ghana as a whole.”

Dr Bawumia prayed for strength and comfort for the bereaved family and the people of Dagbon as they mourn the revered traditional ruler.

“May Allah comfort his immediate family, the Chiefs and people of Dagbon, and Ghana as a whole. It is a painful affliction,” he said.