Ghana’s main opposition chooses ex-minister as presidential running mate

Ghana’s main opposition party National Democratic Congress (NDC) has selected a former education minister as the running mate for its presidential candidate John Mahama in December polls.

Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, 72, was Ghana’s education minister between 2013 and 2017.

She is also the first female vice-chancellor of a public university in the West African country.

NDC said in a statement that Prof Opoku-Agyemang is “a trailblazer for women in leadership across Ghana”.

“Her nomination underscores the NDC’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and the empowerment of women in leadership roles,” the party added.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang previously partnered with Mr Mahama, a former president, in the 2020 presidential polls, but the pair failed to stop current President Nana Akufo-Addo’s bid for a second term.

Her selection in 2020 made history as it was the first time a major political party in Ghana chose a female vice-presidential candidate.

If elected, she will make history as Ghana’s first female vice-president.