Aside the demise of former president Atta Mills who died in office on July 24, 2012, all former presidents who have governed Ghana since 1992 are alive.
Ghana has had three different political regimes since the inception of democratic rule in 1992, with the current Akuffo Ado-led administration being the fourth.
Aside from the demise of former president Atta Mills who died in office on July 24, 2012, all former presidents who have governed Ghana since 1992 are alive.
However, same cannot be said of the vice presidents who partnered them to run the affairs of the country.
The trend of Ghana’s vice presidents dying, leaving their bosses alive started with Ekow Arkaah who was born on 14 July 1927 and served as vice president of Jerry John Rawlings from 1993 to 1997. The former chief of Senya Breku died in the hospital days after being involved in a road accident in Accra.
Ekow Arkaah was followed by John Atta Mills who became Jerry Rawlings’ vice from 1997 to 2001. He rose from vice president to become president in 2009 and died subsequently on July 24, 2012, while in office.
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Alhaji Aliu Mahama who was born on 3rd March 1946 and also served as Vice-President of former President John Kuffour to run the affairs of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009 took the baton. He happened to be Ghana's first Muslim Vice-President.He died on November 16, 2012, almost four months after the demise of Professor Atta Mills.
Now, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur who became vice president of John Dramani Mahama from 6 August 2012 until 7 January 2017 is the latest to have passed away. He is reported to have collapsed in Air Force gym in Accra in the early hours of Friday, June 29, 2018.
It is not clear what is behind this trend, but the fact is that Ghana does not have any former vice president alive now.
Yes, former president John Dramani Mahama was once a vice president but he rose to become president.