Former President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has mourned the saddened passing of former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Mrs. Rawlings, Ghana’s longest serving First Lady died on Thursday, October 23, 2025, after short illness.
Akufo-Addo in a statement said the deceased was a warm and affectionate woman, with a good sense of humour and was excellent company.
The former President noted that as a role model for women in Ghana and across the Africa continent, Mrs. Rawlings’ gender advocacy and women empowerment initiatives remain impactful to this day.
Mr. Akufo-Addo added the commitment of the former First Lady to the growth of the women’s movement in Ghana and Africa can never be forgotten.
”My wife Rebecca and I are deeply saddened by the news of the untimely passing of the wife of the late first President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, the longest serving First Lady in our history and the Founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement, H.E. Mrs Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings” he wrote.
He further extended the condolences of his family to the children of the former first family on this sad occasion.
”May her soul rest peacefully in the bosom of the Almighty, until the Last Day of the Resurrection, when we shall meet again” he prayed.
Meanwhile, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also paid a glowing tribute to the late former First Lady, describing her as an epitome of strength and the enduring resilience of Ghanaian women.
The party in a statement issued signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, on Thursday, October 23, 2025, the NPP expressed deep sorrow over her passing of Ghana’s longest serving First Lady, which it said marked the loss of a national figure who dedicated her life to women’s empowerment and social transformation.
“The late Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings, Founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement and Ghana’s longest-serving First Lady, was an epitome of the strength and resilience of Ghanaian women, particularly in political leadership and socio-economic empowerment,” the statement said.
