The growing trend of widows stepping in to contest parliamentary elections following the death of their husbands has reignited national debate about gender inclusion, political merit and the use of sympathy as an electoral strategy in Ghana’s politics.
A gender activist and Head of Programmes at Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment (RISE)–Ghana, Jaw-Haratu Amadu, says the phenomenon, though increasingly visible, is neither new to Ghana nor unique to the country. Speaking on the subject exclusively on A1 Radio, she noted that both major political parties, the NPP and NDC, have historically adopted widow succession as part of their electoral strategies.
“This is not new. It has been occurring in Ghana for a long time, and it is not unique to Ghana. Political parties in other parts of the world have also used it as a strategy to win sympathy votes,” she said.
Ghana’s political history offers several examples. In 2000, following the death of NPP parliamentary candidate for Asutifi South, Professor Philip Kofi Amoah, his wife, Cecilia Gyan Amoah, was selected to replace him and went on to win the seat. In 2016, after the tragic death of NDC parliamentary candidate William Desmond Ocloo, his widow, Linda Akwele Ocloo, contested and won the parliamentary seat, serving for two terms.
Similarly, after the death of NPP MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, his widow, Lydia Alhassan, won the subsequent by-election. In the Upper East Region, Lydia Adakudugu Akanvariba replaced her late husband, David Adakudugu, as NDC candidate for Tempane in 2020 and won the seat, later rising to become Minister of State for Public Sector Reforms under the current government. More recently, Hajia Amina Adam has declared her intention to contest the NDC primary in Ayawaso East following the death of her husband, Mahama Naser Toure, in January 2026.
Despite these precedents, Jaw-Haratu Amadu cautioned against viewing widow succession as a deliberate gender-equality strategy. “I think it is a wrong perception to see widow succession as a way of bridging the gender gap in Parliament. Losing a husband is a very bitter experience. No woman wants to go through that just to enter politics,” she stressed.
She explained that while political parties may capitalize on public sympathy, they do not select widows who lack political exposure or capability. “If a woman is not capable, I don’t think her political party would support her. Those women who have stepped in already had political exposure and were active within their parties,” she said.
Addressing claims that widows may be forced into contesting, she said, “I’m not even seeing it as force. Political parties want to win power, and if they see this as a viable strategy, they will use it—but not on someone they believe cannot deliver.”
However, she warned that widows face heightened risks in politics, including public scrutiny, insults and emotional strain, especially during mourning. “If it were a man, nobody would question whether he has finished mourning. But because it’s a woman, the scrutiny is harsher,” she said.
She called for stronger support systems for widows who enter politics, including financial backing, campaign assistance and emotional support. Looking ahead, she urged Ghana to focus on sustainable pathways for women’s political participation, pointing to the Affirmative Action Act. “We must implement the 40 per cent quota for women in decision-making. That is how we build inclusive leadership, not through tragedy,” she concluded.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Joshua Asaah | Bolgatanga
