The Court of Appeal has ordered the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, to restore Nii Tackie Adama Latse II to the national register of chiefs as the Ga Mantse (the Paramount Chief of the Ga State) within 14 days. 

Upholding a High Court ruling which gave the order in November 2021, the second highest court of the land sitting in Kumasi unanimously held that the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, removed Nii Latse II’s name from the register without any evidence that he had been validly destooled, a prerequisite for removing a chief’s name from the national register.

“The National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, removed the name of Nii Latse from the national register without any evidence that he was dead, had been deposed or had abdicated or that an adjudicatory body had ordered the removal of his name.

“The decision of National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, was ultra vires, constituted an abuse of power and amounted to a wrong exercise of discretion, thereby constituting an error of law,” the three-member panel of the Court of Appeal which had Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsa presiding, stated in its ruling which dismissed the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi’s appeal against the November 2021 High Court decision.

Other members of the panel were Justices Eric Baah and Kwamina Baiden.

The Court of Appeal added that the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi’s decision to remove Nii Latse’s name from the register because of another decision of the High Court, differently constituted, was totally misrepresented, adding that that High Court decision overlooked the fact that Nii Latse was the gazetted Ga Mantse and that the status quo had to be maintained until an adjudicatory body had pronounced otherwise.

“We question why the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, was in a hurry to implement the ruling of the High Court, which it ended up misrepresenting, and yet rejected another ruling by the High Court, differently constituted, to the extent of expending taxpayers’ money appealing that decision,” the bench stated, adding, “Nowhere did the court hold that Nii Latse II’s name on the register be expunged. 

Misleading information

In a press statement issued on June 13, 2025, the Office of the Ga Mantse, under the leadership of King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, refuted claims that the ruling confers chieftaincy legitimacy on Nii Adama Latse II.

It emphasised that the judiciary did not have jurisdiction to determine matters affecting chieftaincy titles, which are the exclusive purview of the Judicial Committees of the Traditional Councils and the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs.

“The Court of Appeal did not and could not declare Nii Adama Latse II as Ga Mantse,” the statement read.

“The court merely upheld an administrative order — specifically, an order of mandamus compelling the Na­tional House of Chiefs to follow due legal process in maintaining or removing names from the National Register,” it said.

The statement clarified that the court’s ruling was procedural, not substantive, adding, “This decision does not equate to a determina­tion of chieftaincy legitimacy.

The substantive matter regarding who rightfully occupies the Ga Mantse Stool remains unresolved and is still pending before the Judicial Committee of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs,” it stated.

The statement further added that the matter was currently under deliberation in Dodowa.

The Office reiterated that King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II remained the duly recognised and legitimate Ga Mantse until the Ju­dicial Committee rules otherwise.

It further pointed out that King Teiko Tsuru II was not a party to the Court of Appeal ruling delivered on June 12, 2025.

The Office called on the media and the public to treat with caution the widespread interpre­tations of the ruling.

“We urge all well-meaning GaDangme citizens and residents of the Ga State to remain calm and not be swayed by misinformation,” the statement added.

What happened?

In April 2021, Nii Latse learnt that his name had been expunged from the national register.

To ascertain his status, counsel for Nii Latse applied for a search with the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, which confirmed that, indeed, his name had been expunged.

He then instructed his lawyer to write a letter of objection, demanding the restoration of his name to the register by April 27, 2021, but the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, refused. 

Following this, Nii Latse, whose name was originally part of the register after submitting his enstoolment form from the Ga Traditional Council, filed a motion in a form of a judicial review at the High Court in Kumasi seeking an order directed at the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, to restore his name to the register as the Ga Mantse.

This relief was granted by the High Court, but unsatisfied with the ruling, the National House of Chiefs, Kumasi, went to the Court of Appeal to challenge the High Court ruling, which ordered the restoration of Nii Latse II’s name to the register.

Their main argument was that the High Court was not the proper forum to seek a judicial review; hence, it was not clothed with the jurisdiction to hear the matter.

It is this appeal that has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal, affirming the High Court order for Nii Latse’s name to be restored.