How Awulae Amihere Kpanyile III Brought Peace To W/R House Of Chiefs

**Awulae Amihere Kpanyile III, Omanhene of Atuabo**

A recent agreement among the Western Regional House of Chiefs (WRHC) has united its members. Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, Omanhene of Essikado, will serve as President. Nana Kwesi Agyemang, Omanhene of Lower Dixcove, will be Vice President.

Before this agreement, the House was set for elections. Nana Kobina Nketsiah was the only candidate for President. Nana Kwesi Agyemang also ran unopposed for Vice President. An injunction from Awulae Angamatuo Gyan II delayed their election.

To restore peace in the House, Awulae Amihere Kpanyile III made sacrifices. He led to a selection of five chiefs to represent the House at the National House of Chiefs (NHC). The House had been in disarray for four years due to litigation.

From 2020 to 2024, meetings were impossible because of legal disputes. These disputes arose from a contested 2020 election that elected Tetretteh Okuamoah Sekyim as president and Angamatuo Gyan as vice president. The case lingered in court for four years before being nullified.

**Background**

On the day of the disputed election in 2020, a lawsuit challenged Awulae Amihere Kpanyile III's candidacy. The suit questioned his use of the name "Amihere Kpanyile." Chiefs disagreed on whether he could still contest amid ongoing litigation.

Ultimately, he was barred from running. This allowed Tetretteh Okuamoah Sekyim to be declared unopposed and elected alongside Angamatuo Gyan as vice president. Unsatisfied with this outcome, Amihere Kpanyile filed a Certiorari application at a Sekondi High Court.

Justice Hannah Taylor granted his application and ordered a new election. However, some chiefs appealed against this ruling before another judge, Justice Dr. Richmond Osei Hwere. They argued they hadn’t had a chance to present their case during the Certiorari application.

The judge quashed the presidential election but upheld Angamatuo Gyan’s vice presidency since it wasn’t under dispute. Following this decision, other chiefs filed another suit claiming no quorum existed during the original election.

The court ruled in favor of these plaintiffs and nullified all results from that election. Defendants sought a stay on execution but were denied by the court. As legal battles continued, time ran out for new elections needed for 2024-2028.

As preparations began for fresh elections, Angamatuo Gyan filed another petition with an injunction notice against them based on his appeal regarding quorum issues. This injunction halted any planned elections within the House.

This situation discouraged Amihere Kpanyile from running again for president or representation at NHC. Justice Dr. Osei Hwere noted that challenges against him seemed intended to prevent his candidacy but commended him for seeking justice.

Despite receiving clearance from courts to run again, Amihere Kpanyile chose not to contest further to promote peace within the House. His withdrawal opened opportunities for new candidates in upcoming elections.

On November 14, 2024, he formally withdrew from contention through a letter addressed to the Registrar of WRHC. In his letter titled “Truth, Unity and Peace,” he expressed concerns about maintaining harmony within chieftaincy systems in their region.

He requested that his name be removed from candidate lists and wished luck to remaining contestants. This decision helped heal divisions within WRHC and led to successful agreements electing Kobina Nketsiah as president and Kwesi Agyemang as vice president.