Why Asantehene Adjourned the Atutuye Stool Matter After Committee Report

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has adjourned deliberations on the Atutuye Stool dispute, citing unresolved genealogical inconsistencies.

“When we talk about royalty and peace, we must ask who gave birth to whom,” Asantehene stated.

“It is not about who reigned – is everyone who rules a royal? We should ask: who is his mother, who is his grandmother, and how many children came from that line?”

“Hold on with this case. I will call all sides and tell you your genealogy,” he ordered, setting a two-week deadline for the matter to be concluded.

Asantehene took the decision during a Kumasi Traditional Council sitting on October 20, 2025, after reviewing a divided report from a four-member committee tasked with resolving the succession impasse.

The committee’s findings showed a split: three members supported the claim of Opanin Sarpong, while one member backed Opanin Yaw Dwene. A third party, Opanin Antiedu, also remains a claimant.

However, His Majesty raised concerns about conflicting lineage narratives and questioned the basis upon which the committee reached its conclusions. He emphasised that in Asanteman tradition, royal legitimacy is determined strictly through the maternal line, not by paternal association or prior occupation of a stool.

“It is not about who reigned — is everyone who rules a royal?” he queried. “We must ask: who is his mother? Who is his grandmother? And how many children came from that line?”

Otumfuo also expressed skepticism about the claim that Sarpong and Antiedu belonged to the same lineage, especially when evidence suggested the involvement of different ethnic affiliations, including the Tano people in Antiedu’s account. He further questioned how Yaw Dwene could be considered a royal if his maternal descent was not clearly established.

“Now you say the two {Sarpong and Antiedu} are the same, yet one has Tano people following him – what did you base that on? Who gave birth to Dwene? If his mother says he is a child of the stool {from paternal side}, how do I rule on this?” he asked.

Asantehene clarified that the Atutuye Stool does not follow a single, straight hereditary line, revealing that the late Atutuye chief was his son and belonged to the Asene clan, not Oyoko.

In light of these unresolved questions, Asantehene suspended the matter and ordered that all three claimants be brought before him for a direct genealogical review, where he will personally assess the legitimacy of their claims.

A two-week deadline has been set for a final determination.

Story by Adwoa S. Danso