Yaa Pomaah detailed the lineage of the Apatrapa stool before the Asatehene
An old woman who has identified herself as a member of the Apatrapa royal family, Yaa Pomaah, has publicly challenged the lineage of the recently destooled Apatrapahemaa, Oheneba Akyaa Panin III, insisting that she never belonged to the Apatrapa royal bloodline.
Her account follows the decision of the Asantehene to destool Akyaa Panin III after investigations established that she was illegitimately enstooled and did not qualify under customary requirements of the Apatrapa stool.
Why Asantehene has destooled Apatrapahemaa Nana Akyaa Panin III
Speaking in Twi, Yaa Pomaah, who described herself as a “real royal of Apatrapa,” said in a five minute video, shared by The Asante Nation, that she had raised objections from the very beginning but was ignored.
“My name is Yaa Pomaah. I am from Apatrapa. The day she [Oheneba Akyaa Panin III] was being enstooled, I swore the oath of allegiance telling her she wasn’t of Apatrapa royal lineage but from Asisriwa,” she said.
According to her, the roots of the controversy lie in historical arrangements surrounding the upbringing of a royal child, Nana Abebrese, following the death of his mother, Abena Mpata.
“Her grandparent nurtured Nana Abebrese at the time her mother, Abena Mpata was deceased. Abena Mpata birthed Abebrese and when she passed, our ancestors directed us to Asisriwa for someone who could raise the child,” she explained in Twi.
She stressed that the woman brought from Asisriwa, known as Adei, was never a blood royal of Apatrapa.
“That person who was brought from Asisriwa was called Adei… She has no relatives or siblings at Apatrapa but only came to help nurture Nana Abebrese,” Yaa Pomaah continued.
On the legitimacy of the destooled queen mother, she stated emphatically that, “[Oheneba Akyaa Panin] standing here is nowhere related to the Nana Akyaa Panin stool whatsoever.”
Yaa Pomaah also rejected claims that those who appeared with the former queen mother as family members had any ancestral connection to Apatrapa.
“She bears no blood relations with the people seen following her as family members because I know the origin and roots of each one of them since I was well informed by my forefathers about our roots. Our ancestors came from Denkyira…,” she added.
Beyond lineage disputes, Yaa Pomaah alleged deep-seated internal betrayal within the royal family, accusing some relatives of prioritising personal gain over tradition.
“I am saying it on authority that the stool belongs to my ancestors and forefathers but due to the greedy nature of some of our relatives who sell lands and squander the proceeds which has caused us to be in this situation.
“All the people with her are not related in anyway… my king please help me. I’ve become a lone warrior with no one to speak up for me. My own people have been bought and silenced with money and lands. If not for God I would have probably been killed.”
The 158-year record Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is set to break with a new Asantehemaa
The destoolment of the Apatrapahemaa, Oheneba Akyaa Panin III announced on January 12, 2025, took place when she stood before the Asantehene to lay claim to the Bosom Prah Kumaa Stool as part of Apatrapa.
Her removal marked the conclusion of a reign that spanned 24 years.
Watch the video below:
One may sit on a stool unlawfully for decades, but when the day of judgment arrives, everything you once relied on will betray you.
Akandɔm is rooted in Clan and bloodlines, stools, and towns. Akan kuo no, Yɛbɔ no Abusua ne mogya, yɛbɔ no nkonnwa, yɛbɔ no kuro.
The Apatrapa… pic.twitter.com/fsE4praipK
— The Asante Nation (@Asante_nation) January 13, 2026
MAG/AE
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians respond to Ofori-Atta’s detention
