Who Was Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari? The Soldier Who Became Tolon Naa

Tolon Naa Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari 

The death of Tolon Naa Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari has left a painful void in Tolon and across the Dagbon Kingdom.

His passing on Sunday, August 23, came at a particularly difficult moment for Dagbon, which is already mourning the death of its Overlord, Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama II.

Read: Tolon Naa Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari Dies

But behind the title of Tolon Naa was a man whose life stretched across the military, public service and traditional leadership.

He was a soldier. He was a regent. He was a traditional ruler. And to many who knew him personally, he was an elder who took his responsibilities seriously.

A Life That Began in Tali

Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari was born in 1943 at Tali.

His journey eventually took him into the Ghana Armed Forces, where he built a military career and rose to the rank of Major before retiring.

One of the notable chapters of his military career was his reported service as an escort officer to Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

That experience placed him close to an important period in Ghana's history and became one of the many chapters that shaped his remarkable life.

But leaving the military did not mean leaving service behind.

His next chapter would take him back to his roots and eventually to one of the most important traditional positions in Dagbon.

From Soldier to Regent

Major Abubakari was the first son of the late Tolon Naa Alhassan Sulemana.

Following his father's death, he became Regent of Tolon in 2001.

For nearly two decades, he carried the responsibilities of the regency before eventually becoming the substantive Paramount Chief.

In 2019, after the completion of his father's funeral rites, he was enskinned as the Tolon Naa by the late Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama II.

For a man who had spent years serving in uniform, the transition to traditional leadership represented another form of duty.

The military uniform was gone, but the responsibility remained.

A Chief Who Valued Peace

During his years as a traditional leader, Major Abubakari was vocal about the importance of peace and unity in Dagbon.

In 2019, he called on the people of Dagbon, particularly the youth, to protect the peace and work together for development.

He also supported efforts by civil society organisations working to strengthen peace in the traditional area.

Those public engagements offered a glimpse into his understanding of traditional leadership.

For him, the role of a chief was not simply about sitting on a traditional skin.

It was also about helping people live together, protecting the community and creating an environment where development could take place.

A Traditional Skin With a Military History

There is something particularly striking about Major Abubakari's journey.

The Tolon skin itself has a strong military history within Dagbon.

The Tolon Naa is traditionally regarded as the defence chief of the Yaa Naa, with historical responsibility for mobilising forces to defend the kingdom.

Major Abubakari, meanwhile, had spent years as a professional soldier.

In many ways, his personal history and the history of the skin he occupied came together.

He moved from serving Ghana as a soldier to serving his people from the traditional palace.

A Reputation for Protecting What Was Entrusted to Him

Another part of the late chief's legacy that has begun attracting attention is his reported approach to traditional lands.

People close to his story have spoken about his reluctance to treat land as a personal source of wealth, with some describing him as a chief who believed traditional lands should be protected for the benefit of his people and future generations.

That aspect of his leadership deserves to be explored more fully.

What exactly did he believe about traditional land ownership?

What decisions did he make during his time on the skin?

And what lessons did those who worked closely with him take from his approach?

These are questions that members of his family, the palace and the wider community may help answer as tributes and memories continue to emerge.

He Never Really Stopped Serving

Even in his later years, Major Abubakari remained connected to the affairs of his community.

In 2025, he received a team from the University for Development Studies at the Tolon Palace as the university's football team prepared to represent Africa at the World Universities Football Tournament in China.

He encouraged the young players to remain disciplined and hardworking and pledged his support to their efforts.

It was a simple palace engagement, but it revealed something important about his approach to leadership.

He remained interested in young people and their future.

A Life Bigger Than the Title

It is easy, especially after someone's death, to reduce their life to the position they occupied.

But Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari's story is bigger than the title Tolon Naa.

He was born in Tali.

He became a soldier.

He served during an important period in Ghana's history.

He retired as a Major.

He returned to his traditional roots.

He became Regent of Tolon.

He waited nearly two decades before becoming the substantive Paramount Chief.

And he eventually became one of the senior traditional figures within Dagbon.

That is a remarkable journey.

His story also forms part of a wider history of public service and traditional leadership in Ghana's northern communities, where respected elders have often carried responsibilities that extend far beyond the traditional palace.

Read also: Savannah NDC Mourns Passing of Council of State Member Tingawura Seidu Sampson Abudu

Another Difficult Moment for Dagbon

Major Abubakari's death has come at a particularly painful moment.

Dagbon is still coming to terms with the passing of the Yaa Naa, and now another senior traditional figure has joined the list of those being mourned.

For residents of Tolon, the loss is deeply personal.

For Dagbon, it is the loss of an elder.

And for those who knew Major Abubakari personally, the memories will be much more intimate than anything that can be captured in a news report.

They will remember his voice.

His advice.

His temperament.

The way he carried himself.

And the moments they shared with him away from traditional ceremonies and the public spotlight.

The Story Is Only Beginning to Be Told

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari is that his obituary cannot tell his whole story.

There are people who knew him as a soldier.

There are those who knew him as a son, father and family man.

Others knew him as a regent.

Many knew him simply as their chief.

Each person will have a different memory.

And together, those memories will give Dagbon a fuller picture of the man who occupied the Tolon skin.

As the traditional area prepares to mourn and honour him, Global Pulse GH will continue to bring readers verified accounts about his life, military service, traditional leadership and the legacy he leaves behind.

Because when a person has lived a life of service, the end of that life should not be the end of the story.

May Allah forgive the shortcomings of Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari, have mercy upon him and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. May Allah give his family, the Tolon Traditional Area and the people of Dagbon strength and comfort during this difficult period.