Prof Naa Afaley Sackeyfio: First Ghanaian Female Running Mate Passes Away
- Professor Naa Afaley Sackeyfio, Ghana’s first female running mate under the Fourth Republic, has passed away
- The news of her death was confirmed by a source close to her family, according to Graphiconline
- She made history in 1992 when she contested as the running mate for the National Independence Party
The first female Ghanaian running mate under Ghana's Fourth Republic, Professor Naa Afaley Sackeyfio, has passed away.
According to a publication on Graphiconline, the sad event occurred over the weekend.
Source: UGC
This, the report indicated, was confirmed by a source close to the family of the late Professor Sackeyfio.
Professor Sackeyfio, a renowned academic scholar, ventured into politics when she ran as the running mate of the then National Independence Party (NIP).
The NIP was one of the five parties that contested the general elections when Ghana returned to constitutional rule in 1992.
Professor Sackeyfio's profile and political journey
Professor Sackeyfio was a professor of English language who taught for many years at the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana.
Aside from lecturing, the late professor also authored many books and indulged in poetry.
She is also celebrated for her significant contribution to Ghana's literary space through her impeccable writings.
She authored the books Tales My Mother Used to Tell, Culture Clothed in Tails, and Comprehension Plus.
Professor Sackeyfio made inroads in Ghana's male-dominated political space, becoming a prominent figure in 1992 after she was selected as the running mate to the National Independence Party’s (NIP) Dr Kwabena Darko.
At the close of the 1992 polls, the NIP placed fourth in the presidential election.
However, a year after the elections, the NIP became defunct, a situation that unfortunately ended Professor Sackeyfio's political career.
Despite this, she remained one of the strongest advocates for increasing women’s participation in Ghanaian politics at the highest level.
Professor Sackeyfio was the second woman to contest as a running mate in the history of Ghanaian politics when the country returned to democratic governance in 1992.
Under the Third Republic, Lt Col Christine Kwabea Debrah became the first Ghanaian woman to be named a running mate, following her nomination by independent presidential candidate Robert Patrick Baffour during the 1979 elections.
Before her nomination, Lt Col Debrah was a professional nurse who headed the Nursing Department at the 37 Military Hospital.
After her candidate lost the elections, she quit politics to concentrate on her nursing career at the hospital.
Source: UGC
Ghana loses another former First Lady
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Obaa Yaa Afrifa, wife of former head of state Lt Gen Akwasi Amanwah Afrifa, had passed away at age 91.
Her family visited former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor to officially inform him of her death and funeral.
Born in 1934, Obaa Yaa Afrifa passed away in December 2025, and her funeral will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
The family head of the former fist lady said in the trending video that Obaa Yaa Afrifa was a sister of ex-President Kufuor.
Source: YEN.com.gh
