By Richmond Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Sege, Oct. 05, GNA — The Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs has overturned a decision of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and restored a 2020 judgement of the Ada Traditional Council in a long-running chieftaincy dispute involving the Sege Stool.
The decision, delivered on August 24, 2026, followed an appeal in Suit No. NHC.1/GAR/2024 involving Mr Richard Dornu Nartey and three others against Gideon Dame Agbewornu and Nomo Teye Agbewornu.
A five-member Judicial Committee chaired by Awulae Attibrukusu III unanimously ruled that the appeal succeeded, set aside the judgement of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and restored the judgement of the Ada Traditional Council’s Judicial Committee dated November 24, 2020.
The National House of Chiefs also awarded GH¢5,000 in costs in favour of the appellants.
The dispute has its roots in proceedings that began in 2005, when Nomo Teye Agbewornu presented himself as chief of Sege and initiated chieftaincy proceedings before the Ada Traditional Council in Suit No. ATC/JC/4/2005.
The case resulted in a judgement on June 7, 2012, which was subsequently challenged through a petition alleging that the judgement had been obtained through fraudulent representations concerning the status of the parties, the installation of a Sege chief and information contained in chieftaincy records.
In its 2020 judgement, the Ada Traditional Council’s Judicial Committee examined the evidence and found that Nomo Agbewornu, had misrepresented his status in the 2005 proceedings.
The Committee also questioned the recorded installation date of Nene Dame Agbewornu II, which was stated as August 4, 2005, noting that the judgement relied upon in connection with the installation was delivered only in 2012.
The panel further examined records concerning the late Nene Nakom IV, whose death was recorded in a Chieftaincy Declaration Form as January 15, 2005 and that evidence from the Ghana Health Service and the Register of Deaths, however, indicated that he died on July 14, 2005.
The status of a pending case and the possession of the traditional Black Stool were also considered by the Committee before it concluded that the 2012 judgement had been obtained through fraud.
The Ada Traditional Council subsequently set aside the June 7, 2012, judgement and ordered the defendants to pay GH¢5,000 in costs.
The matter later proceeded through the chieftaincy appellate system to the National House of Chiefs, which has now restored the 2020 Ada Traditional Council judgement.
A certified letter dated September 22, 2026, from the National House of Chiefs confirmed that a certified true copy of the proceedings of the August 24 sitting had been released to the lawyers.
The letter further indicated that the reasoned judgement of the National House of Chiefs would be available from the Registrar.
The latest decision brings a significant development to a dispute that has travelled through the Ada Traditional Council, the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and the National House of Chiefs, with the full reason behind the apex chieftaincy body’s ruling still being awaited.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/ Christabel Addo
Reporter: Richmond Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA