Creation of The Confederacy
This led to an 1868 meeting of the leading Fante and also representatives of the Denkyira, Wassa, Twifu, and Assin who met in Mankessim and formed a Confederation. The group proclaimed their loyalty to the British protectorate, but also demanded the right to self-government. They also promised to prevent the Dutch from assuming control of the forts in the area.
The new state had a King-President at its head and below him a council of kings and elders and a national assembly representing a larger portion of the population. King Ghartey IV (c. 1820-1897) of Winneba was elected as the first King-President, while King Otoo of Abura was placed in charge of the armed forces. The new government created a standing army of some 15,000 men, introduced a poll tax covering the region, and most importantly a judicial system that asserted the right of the Confederation, not the British, to mete out justice. This Confederation was paralleled in the east by the Ga-led Accra Native Confederation
Otoo marched the new army to Komenda to join that city in its effort at preventing the Dutch from taking control of the fort vacated by the British. This effort was successful and the Dutch were rebuffed. Otoo next turned to trying to take Elmina, the centre of Dutch power on the coast. The effort to storm the city failed and the Fante forces became bogged down in a long war.
In 1871 the constitution was rewritten and a new Executive Council was created. Otoo and Edu of Mankessim were elected co-King-Presidents, but shortly Otoo's role was switched to the General Field Marshal and Edu became the sole King-President.
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