Akua Donkor
Akua Donkor | |
|---|---|
| Ghana Freedom Party candidate for President of Ghana | |
| Running mate | Ernest Adakabre Frimpong Manso |
| Opponent(s) | Nana Akufo-Addo John Mahama and 9 others |
| Incumbent | Nana Akufo-Addo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1952 (age 72) |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Political party | Ghana Freedom Party |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Cocoa farmer |
Akua Donkor (born February 1952) is a Ghanaian politician, founder and leader of Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).[1]
Early life
[edit]Donkor was born in February 1952, and hails from Afigya Kwabre District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She is a cocoa farmer by profession. She is not known to have had any formal education.[2]
Politics
[edit]Madam Donkor was elected assembly woman for Herman,[2] 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 who said she did not meet the requirements set for the election. 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.[3] Her Ghana Freedom Party was again disqualified by the Electoral Commission from contesting the 2016 election.[4]Despite not being able to contest any election, let alone win it, Donkor insist 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.[5] Speaking on the incident, Donkor said the disaster was a test which she would not be deterred in her quest to become the president of Ghana.
Campaign promise
[edit]When elected as president, Donkor promised to make free education from primary to secondary level. She also said she will erase import taxes to enable people import more. She would establish a free zone at the port of Tema to attract more businesses.[2] These, she said was achievable through the judicious use through the judicious use of Ghana's resources such as Gold, cocoa, shea butter and salt. She also advocated that Ghana refined 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 rubbing shoulders with the north African country.[6]
She also wanted the country to elect its first female president, stating woman had the capacity to transform the country.[6]
Disqualification
[edit]On 10 October 2016, the Ghana Electoral Commission announced it has disqualified Akua Donkor together with 12 other presidential candidates from contesting in the 7th December, 2016 election.[7] She admitted that her nomination form was freight with errors as pointed out by the EC. She called on members and executives of the party not to lose hope as the party will bounce back in 2020 to contest in the presidential race.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Akua Donkor, 'Otumfuo is my husband' - Now Ghana!". Now Ghana!. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.