Hot SourceReports have emerged that acute asthma caused the death of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings yesterday, October 23, 2025.
Her death came as a surprise, as a day earlier, she attended the funeral of Mrs Effah at Christ the King Church with her only son, Kimathi, looking all hale and hearty.
Nana Konadu was known to suffer from severe asthma, sometimes experiencing attacks during official duties while her husband, the late Jerry Rawlings, was head of state, who passed away nearly five years ago.
On several occasions, the husband, an Airforce pilot, personally did helicopter evacuations from remote parts of the country to Accra to ensure she received emergency treatment, particularly during her 31st December Women’s Movement (31st DWM) activities.
Early yesterday morning, reports indicated she had fallen seriously ill and was in intensive care at the Ridge Hospital, also known as the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, just a short drive from her residence. By midday, it became clear that she had passed away. Her death was confirmed in a government statement signed by Felix Ofosu Kwakye.
At a press conference held at the Rawlings residence, family head Oheneba Akwesi Abayie said, “Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings fell ill this morning and was rushed to the Ridge Hospital, where she sadly passed away.”
He was flanked by her children, Zanetor, Amina, Yaa Asantewaa, and Kimathi, and appealed for privacy for the grieving family. The atmosphere at the residence was solemn, with the children visibly mourning.
Her alma mater, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, joined the nation in mourning the passing of Mrs Agyeman-Rawlings, an esteemed alumna and former First Lady, who died aged 76. She was a student leader in her days at KNUST.
As First Lady from 1981 to 2001, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement, one of Ghana’s most significant social development initiatives, empowering countless women through education, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.
President John Dramani Mahama led a solemn moment of silence in her honour after being formally notified of her passing.
The tribute took place just before the swearing-in of 37 newly appointed High Court judges at Jubilee House.
The President confirmed that the children of the late First Lady had followed proper protocol in officially notifying the state of her death.
Addressing the gathering of senior judicial and political officials, President Mahama said: “This afternoon, I received a delegation of the children of our late mother, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, to inform me of her untimely and unfortunate passing.”
He then requested a collective mark of respect for the woman who served as First Lady for nearly two decades and became a political trailblazer as Ghana’s first female presidential candidate in 2016.
Her death, coming four years after that of her husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings, represents a significant loss for Ghana, particularly for the women’s empowerment movement she championed through the 31st DWM.
The state is expected to release formal details of the funeral and state burial arrangements in the coming days, in consultation with the bereaved family.
Nana Konadu, wife of the late President Rawlings, was Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, serving across both military and civilian administrations.
She first held the role from 4 June to 24 September 1979 under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and again from 31 December 1981 to 6 January 1993 under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
She continued in the role during her husband’s two constitutional terms from 7 January 1993 to 6 January 2001.
Beyond her role as First Lady, Nana Konadu was a pioneer in women’s empowerment and political activism. She founded the 31st December Women’s Movement and later established the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 2012 after splitting from the NDC.
The Electoral Commission subsequently disqualified her and 11 other presidential candidates for failing to meet nomination requirements, but she contested again in 2016 on the NDP ticket.
In November 2018, she published her first book, It Takes a Woman, a 331-page biography chronicling her life from her youth in 1948 to her years in political and social advocacy. The book was the first of four volumes she planned to write, offering insights into her activism and experiences.
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