The Late Akua Donkor: A Biography of the Ghanaian Politician

The Ghana Freedom Party’s (GFP) founder and flagbearer, Akua Donkor, reportedly died in Ridge Hospital in Accra, according to information gathered by the media. She died in the late hours of October 28, 2024.

This article dives into the biography of the Ghanaian politician who strove to lead the nation Ghana.

Donkor was born in February 1952, and hails from Afigya Kwabre District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She was a cocoa farmer by profession. She was not known to have had any formal education.

Madam Donkor was elected assembly woman for Herman (during what she described as the era of "Kufour gallons" in Ghana), a step in the direction of her ambition to become the president of Ghana.

Her ambition to be president was evident in the 2012 polls where she applied to contest as an independent candidate. However, she was barred by the Electoral Commission (EC).

Donkor disagreed with 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 (PPP).

Her Ghana Freedom Party was again disqualified by the Electoral Commission from contesting the 2016 election. Despite not being able to contest any election, let alone win it, Donkor insisted that she should be addressed as Her Excellency, a title for the president.

In January 2016, Donkor's GFP headquarters located at Kabu in the Eastern Region was gutted by fire. Speaking on the incident, Donkor said the disaster was a test which would not deter her quest to become the president of Ghana.

In 2020, Madam Donkor was among the three women presidential candidates to be cleared to contest the 2020 presidential elections. Out of the 12 candidates that contested, she came fifth.

In 2024, Madam Donkor announced Mr Kwabena Agyeman Appiah Kubi, known in the media as Roman Fada, as her running mate for the 2024 general election. Madam Donkor successfully filed her nomination to contest the 2024 presidential elections, and placed number 3 on the ballot paper.

During an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on October 15, 2024, Madam Akua Donkor threatened to drag John Mahama, the 2024 presidential candidate for the NDC, to court over what she called derogatory comments on her qualification as a presidential candidate. 

She was preparing actively to become president of Ghana by campaigning and doing interviews discussing her manifesto when news of her demise hit the media. 

Some of her policies were: vehicles for journalists, duty-free port services for the clearance of goods, free education, and improved remuneration for farmers.

Following her passing, tributes have poured in from netizens, honouring her contributions and expressing condolences to her family, loved ones, and supporters of her party.

Akua Donkor charmed many with her spirited presence in Ghanaian politics, and was a staunch advocate for the rights of farmers and women. Her bold, outspoken demeanor enabled her to capture public attention and significantly impact the grassroots communities she aimed to represent.