The King of Dagbon, Ya-Naa Abukari Mahama II, has reaffirmed his rejection of the decision by the Akufo-Addo administration to rename the Tamale International Airport after a late paramount chief of Tolon.

The late Tolon Naa Yakubu Tali was an educationist and regarded as a founding father of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

While presenting the 2024 State of the Nation address on Tuesday, February 27, in Parliament, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the renaming of the Tamale International Airport after the late Tolon chief.

Following the announcement, the Ya Naa, amongst several other stakeholders has expressed his displeasure and subsequently announced his rejection of the President's "unacceptable idea."

The Ya Naa in the statement warned of dire security implications if such a decision was implemented by the President and his government.

However, the Ya Naa was still proclaiming his disagreement with the decision, the Paramount Chief of Tolon, Naa Major(rtd) Sulemana Abubakari, led a delegation of other [Abudu] chiefs to the Jubilee House to thank the President for the decision.

In a bid to address the controversy and quell the rising tension, the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, visited the region over the weekend to hold a closed-door meeting with the Ya Naa at the Gbewa Palace in Yendi.

According to JoyNews sources, the Ya Naa firmly repeated his expression of disappointment with the president's decision.

Read the Tamale overlord's speech