Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
The 2026 NkrumahFest celebration in Nkroful has become the latest flashpoint in the long-running Eastern Nzema chieftaincy dispute, with the role of the Ellembelle Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, coming under renewed public scrutiny.
Mr. Buah, who was the organiser and driving force behind NkrumahFest 2026 in Nkroful, addressed the event where Berenger Aka Flanton was presented as Awulae Blay IX, Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, according to reports.
The same report identified Nana Kobina Nketsia V as President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs. The public presentation has raised questions beyond the cultural celebration, with the public asking whether it was merely participation in a cultural event or whether the platform created an appearance of political recognition of a disputed traditional claimant.
Checks of records show that Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III remains the gazetted Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area and President of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, according to extracts from the records of the National House of Chiefs and the Western Regional House of Chiefs.
This, observers say, makes the NkrumahFest presentation of another person as Paramount Chief particularly significant.
The issue, according to analysts, is not whether a Minister or MP can attend a traditional or cultural event, but whether a government platform, directly or indirectly, should appear to confer traditional recognition where the paramountcy itself remains contested and formal records are being relied upon by one side.
The controversy is also linked to Mr. Buah’s two public roles as MP for Ellembelle and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, with his association with the organisation of NkrumahFest making the issue even more contentious.
The Minister may, however, explain that his participation was purely cultural and did not constitute recognition of Flanton’s claim.
The development has also raised questions about consistency with President John Dramani Mahama’s approach to chieftaincy disputes. President Mahama has publicly emphasised the importance of the law and the recognition of gazetted traditional authority in discussions surrounding the Bawku chieftaincy dispute.
In February 2026, the Presidency reported the President’s engagement with the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs concerning the Bawku situation.
“The question now being asked in Eastern Nzema is simple: If gazettement and lawful recognition matter in Bawku, should the same principle not apply in Eastern Nzema?” a source noted.
There is no basis in the material reviewed for attributing personal authorisation of the NkrumahFest presentation to the President.
Rather, observers say it is a question of policy consistency within government, and that if a senior Minister’s public conduct creates an appearance inconsistent with government’s stated approach to gazetted traditional authority, government may reasonably be asked to clarify its position.
A Daily Guide Report