Akua Donkor
Akua Donkor | |
|---|---|
| Ghana Freedom Party candidate for President of Ghana | |
| Running mate | Kwabena Agyeman Appiah Kubi |
| Opponent(s) | Nana Akufo-Addo John Mahama and 9 others |
| Incumbent | Nana Akufo-Addo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1952 |
| Died | 28 October 2024 (aged 72)[1] Accra, Ghana |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Political party | Ghana Freedom Party |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Cocoa farmer |
Akua Donkor (c. February 1952 – 28 October 2024) was a Ghanaian farmer and politician.[2] She was the founder and leader of Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).[3][4] She was known for not going through any formal education
She was confirmed dead at the early hours of Tuesday October 28th 2024
Early life
Donkor was born in February 1952, and hailed from Ejuratia in the Afigya Kwabre District[5] in the Ashanti Region of Ghana (then the Gold Coast). She was a cocoa farmer by profession and was not known to have had any formal education.[6]
Politics
Donkor was elected an assembly woman for Heman,[6] a step towards achieving her ambition of being the president of Ghana. Her ambition to be president is evident in the 2012 polls where she applied to contest as an independent candidate. However, she was disqualified by the electoral commission. According to the Electoral Commission she did not meet the requirements set for the election. Donkor disagreed with the EC's decision but did not contest it in any law court. She later decided to give her support to Papa Kwesi Ndoum of the Progressive People's Party.[7] Her party was disqualified by the Electoral Commission from contesting the 2016 election.[8] Despite not being able to contest any election, Akua Donkor insisted that she should be addressed as Her Excellency, a title for the president. In January 2016, Akua Donkor's GFP headquarters located at Kabu in the Eastern Region was gutted by fire.[9] Speaking on the incident, Akua Donkor said the disaster was a test which would not deter her quest to become the president of Ghana.
In 2020, Akua Donkor was among the three women presidential candidates to be cleared to contest the 2020 presidential elections.[10] Out of the 12 candidates that contested, she came fifth.[11]
In 2024, Akua Donkor announced Mr Kwabena Agyeman Appiah Kubi[12] known in the media as Roman Fada as her running mate for the general election.[13]
Akua Donkor successfully filed her nomination to contest the 2024 presidential elections,[14] and placed number 3 on the ballot paper.[15]
Akua Donkor threatened to drag John Dramani Mahama, the 2024 presidential candidate for the NDC to court over derogatory comments on her qualification as a presidential candidate during an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting which was held on the 15th of October, 2024 at Accra.[16]
Campaign promise
When elected as president, Donkor promised to make free education from primary to secondary level. She also said she would erase import taxes enabling people to import more. She would establish a free zone at the port of Tema to attract more businesses.[6] This she said was achievable through the judicious use of Ghana's resources such as Gold, cocoa, shea butter and salt. She also advocated that Ghana refine its own resources especially oil, saying that buying refined oil from other countries when the country is an oil producer was absurd. Donkor has claimed Muammar Gaddafi of Libya as her political icon. Inspired by the late Libyan leader, Donkor said Ghana should be rubbing shoulders with the northern African country.[17]
She also wanted the country to elect its first female president, stating woman had the capacity to transform the country.[17]
Disqualification
On 10 October 2016, the Ghana Electoral Commission announced it has disqualified Akua Donkor together with 12 other presidential candidates from contesting the 7th December, 2016 election.[18][4] She admitted that her nomination form was fraught with errors as pointed out by the EC. She called on members and executives of the party not to lose hope as the party would bounce back in 2020 to contest the presidential race.[19]
Death
She passed away on 28 October 2024 at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital where she was receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed condition after experiencing illness during her campaign activities in preparation for the 2024 Ghanaian general election.[20][21][1][22]
References
- ^ a b "Akua Donkor, Presidential Candidate of Ghana Freedom Party dies at age 72 - MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. 29 October 2024.
- ^ Otchere, Gertrude Owireduwaah (29 October 2024). "What you probably didn't know about Akua Donkor - Adomonline.com". Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Akua Donkor, 'Otumfuo is my husband' - Now Ghana!". Now Ghana!. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Ghana Freedom Party Leader Akua Donkor dead". 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Akua Donkor: Ejuratia residents mourn as daughter calls for state burial". 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Kanyarwunga (7 July 2011). "History of Africa Otherwise: Ms. Akua Donkor, illiterate President of Ghana ?". History of Africa Otherwise. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "Disqualified Akua Donkor Joins Nduom's PPP". Peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ Kasapa (10 October 2016). "RACE TO FLAGSTAFF HOUSE: EC says no to Akua Donkor". Kasapa102.5FM. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "Akua Donkor party office burnt". ghanaweb.com. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ GhanaWeb. "Akua Donkor, Konadu Rawlings, Dzogbenuku cleared to contest 2020 election".
- ^ "2020 PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS - Electoral Commission". ec.gov.gh. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ "Kwabena Agyemang Biography | Profile | Ghana". www.peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Akua Donkor Names Roman Fada As Her Running Mate".
- ^ GhanaWeb. "2024 Elections: Akua Donkor and two others file nomination".
- ^ "Akua Donkor Jubilates Over Number 3 Position On Presidential Ballot". DailyGuide Network. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
- ^ "Akua Donkor threatens to sue Mahama over derogatory comment on her presidential candidate qualifications - Graphic Online".
- ^ a b (Mrs), Rebecca Quaicoe Duho. "Ghana must not be in difficulty — Akua Donkor - Graphic Online". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ "EC disqualifies Nduom, Konadu, 11 others; accepts 4 - MyJoyOnline". Archived from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "Akua Donkor calms supporters, says 2020 is her surest bet". 12 October 2016.
- ^ Miller, John (29 October 2024). "Ghanaian Politician Maame Akua Donkor Is Dead". America Gist. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Breaking News: Akua Donkor reported dead". ModernGhana.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Akua Donkor: Ghana presidential candidate die about a month to elections". BBC News Pidgin. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
