In December 2016, President Akufo-Addo promised to collaborate closely with the Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa I, the overlord of Gonjaland, to advance progress and prosperity for the people of Gonjaland throughout his tenure.

He made this commitment during a courtesy visit to the Yagbonwura and chiefs of Gonjaland at the Jakpa Palace in Damongo.

Nana Akufo-Addo, who is on a 3-day ‘Thank You Tour’ of the 3 Northern Regions and the Brong Ahafo Region, told the Yagbonwura that “we came here today to thank you, and to reassure you and to let you know that we are going to work very closely with you to improve governance in the country. I am going to need your constant advice and guidance.”

During the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) campaign trail, Nana Akufo-Addo visited the Yagbonwura at the Jakpa Palace on August 30, 2016, seeking his support and prayers for himself and the NPP leading up to the December 7 elections.

“God listened to your prayers and on the 9th of December, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, declared me winner in the presidential election, and the NPP victors in the parliamentary elections. I came here today to thank you much,” the President-Elect said.

Nana Akufo-Addo told the Yagbonwura that, even though he has lost one son, in the person of President Mahama, “you have another in his place. So you have lost nothing, as some of your children are going to be working closely with me – Otiko Afisa Djaba, Samuel Abu Jinapor and Clifford Braimah, amongst others – so you will have your grandchildren all around me.”

He assured the Yagbonwura that, “My doors will always be open to you. Where I am going, I will need your support and continuing prayers, and to assure you that all the commitments I made to the Ghanaian people during my campaign, with the help of the Almighty, I am going to fulfil all of them.”

Akufo-Addo also expressed gratitude to the Kpembewura, Babanye Ndefosu II, who was in attendance at the Jakpa Palace, for his prediction on September 2, 2016. The Kpembewura had forecasted that Akufo-Addo would win the 2016 election with a 53 percent margin.

“He (Kpembewura) was like a soothsayer, the one who was able to see into the future and he is the one who predicted that I would get 53 point something percent of the vote. So I want to thank you for the Kpembewura, my old friend Bismark,” Akufo-Addo said, to a rapturous applause from the gathering at the Jakpa Palace.

Nana Akufo-Addo, in concluding, noted that before the conduct of this year’s election, “we had no seats in Gonjaland. But today we have one in Salaga South, and everywhere in Gonjaland, my vote went up. So I came to thank you for that as well.”

On behalf of the Yagbonwura, the Kpembewura, Babanye Ndefosu II, assured President-Elect Akufo-Addo that “we are going to give you the necessary support.

“You told us you are not going to turn your back on Gonjas, and, for that matter all Gonja’s sitting here and elsewhere are going to give you their full support. We hope you will deliver for the people of Ghana, and in the first 4 years (of your tenure) the people of Ghana will see that we have a good government in place,” Kpembewura Babanye Ndefosu said.