Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, has stated that he will not allow himself to be provoked into making comments on the Bawku chieftaincy dispute.

Mr Ayariga, also the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, said he had deliberately refrained from commenting on the matter, to avoid escalating tensions while the Mediation Team led by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was working with key stakeholders to resolve the matter.

At the closing ceremony of the Third Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament on Friday, Mr Ayariga stressed that his silence was a conscious effort to protect peace in the area.

He explained that he had stayed away from his constituency for good reasons, noting that any remarks made in haste could inflame passions or worsen the situation.

Mr Ayariga reiterated his commitment to ensuring that parliamentary business remained focused on national development, while sensitive local issues were handled through appropriate mediation channels.

The Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II mediation Team’s verdict on the Bawku chieftaincy conflict reaffirmed Asigri Abugurago Azoka II as the legitimate Bawku Naba.

The mediation team recommended that rival chief Seidu Abagre be recalled to Nalerigu for another traditional role and urged the government support to enforce peace.

However, the Mamprugu Overlord (Nayiri) rejected the report, while the Ghanaian government officially accepted it as a roadmap for reconciliation.