Akua Donkor, an epitome of female empowerment

By Dr. Nana Sifa Twum, Media and Communications Consultant

Ghanaians woke up last Monday to the terrible news of the passing of Akua Donkor, founder and Presidential candidate of the Ghana Freedom Party, GFP. Madam Akua Donkor who passed away, on the 28th of October, 2024, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra, where she was sent to receive medical treatment for an undisclosed condition, after her campaign activities in preparation for the general election in December this year.

Known to have no formal education, she appeared on the scene in national politics in 2010, when she disclosed her intentions to contest for the Presidency in the 2012 general election. This was after she had braved her way through as a successful Assemblywoman for the Heman Electoral Area of the Ejuratia in the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region, where she hailed from.

Trice in her political career, she was disqualified by the Electoral Commission to contest for the presidency as an independent candidate in the 2014 and 2016 general election on accounts of not meeting the requirements set for the election.

She was, however, not deterred by this and other factors, such as the collapse of her party’s national Headquarters situated in the Eastern Region, who was gutted by fire.

In 2016, when she led her GFP to contest the election, the party was disqualified, thus affecting her chances again.

Madam Akua Donkor is on record to have called on members and Executives of the party not to lose hope as the party would come back in 2020 to contest the presidential race. True to her words and by dint of hard work, dedication, resilience and unflinching fortitude, she got her assessments right and was cleared by the Electoral Commission to contest as the Flagbearer of GFP for the 2020 general election. That year, Madam Donkor was one of the three female presidential candidates cleared to contest the election. Out of the 12 candidates that contested, she came fifth. She had successfully gone through to lead the GFP to contest this year’s election, the upcoming 2024 election and was number three on the ballot paper.

At the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Accra last two weeks, she vehemently expressed her unhappiness with what she termed as derogatory comments about her qualifications as a presidential candidate for election 2024.

Such was the zeal that was exhibited by a lady who had not stepped foot in the classroom, vying to lead the nation as the President of the republic.

Stepping into the national political arena, she provided several social amenities, such as potable water, schools and health facilities to the community in the town she hailed from. Her people in separate tributes praised her for standing up to the task as a faithful and dedicated Assemblywoman.

This is the reason why Madam Akua Donkor promised to make education free from the primary to secondary level. She also promised to eliminate import taxes, to enable people to import more. She would have established a free zone at the Tema Port to attract more businesses into the country if she had lived to win the elections. This, she said, were achievable through the judicious use of Ghana’s natural resources, such as gold, cocoa, timber, salt and shea butter.

She also strongly advocated, that Ghana refine its own resources, especially crude oil.

One would ask where from these economic and political ideas that were espoused by someone who had no formal education. She claimed the executed president of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, as her political icon.

With this inspiration, Madam Akua Donkor’s her view was for Ghana to “rub shoulders” with the Northern African country in terms of wealth creation and sharing.

She also wanted Ghana to elect its first female President, stating, that women could “help change the fortunes of the country for the better”.

Madam Akua Donkor will be remembered for her bravery, dedication, resilience and tenacity.

She stood tall as an African woman politician. She stood as a remarkable figure of resilience, strength and dedication.

As a farmer, politician and an African woman, she defied countless barriers, balancing tradition with progress and personal sacrifice with public service.

Her journey reflects an unyielding commitment to justice, empowerment and the pursuit of a better future for all.

Through her leadership, she has redefined what it means to lead, inspiring generations to rise above challenges and believe in the power of their voice.

“A genuine trailblazer who dared to dream and turned those dreams into a legacy of change.”

Madam Akua Donkor paid her dues and will go into Ghana’s history books.

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