Ghana’s former First Lady, ‘Hillary Clinton of Africa’, dies after brief illness

Former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, has died at the age of 76.

Presidential spokesperson Felix Ofosu confirmed that she passed away on Thursday morning after a brief illness.

Agyeman-Rawlings, often referred to as the “Hillary Clinton of Africa,” was the wife of Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana’s longest-serving head of state.

Her husband, who led two military takeovers before becoming an elected president, governed the nation for a total of 19 years until his death in 2020.

With her husband’s long tenure, Agyeman-Rawlings became the country’s longest-serving first lady.

Earlier on Thursday, members of the Rawlings family paid a visit to President John Mahama to formally inform him of her passing. Mahama, who currently leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC), heads the political party founded by the late Jerry Rawlings after he assumed power.