The chieftaincy conflict that broke out in Yendi, in March 2002, degenerated into wide scale violence leading to the death of the overload and 40 others in the Dagbon kingdom.  It was alleged by a section of the society, that Gov’t lackadaisical attitude led to the unfortunate event.  This situation brought about widespread mistrust among the citizenry. Gov’t neutrality was questioned and doubted.

The Northern regional Security Council set up the NORPAC (Northern Regional Peace Advisory council) before the 2004 general elections, as a pilot with the objective to work for peace before, during and after the 2004 elections.

The NORPAC contributed significantly to peace initiatives in the region before, during and after the elections. It gained respect for its role in peace building in the northern region of Ghana. From then on with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), activities of NORPAC intensified and other regions began to come on board culminating in the National Peace Council before the 2008 elections. This Council worked without a legal backing but fully recognised by Ghanaians in terms of the immense role it played in the elections of 2008.