Former President of Ghana and founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings died of COVID-19.

The sad incident Ghana Guardian understands occurred today, November 12, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Although his family is yet to issue an official statement regarding his shocking death, Nigeria independent online newspaper, The Cable, says the former President died of the deadly coronavirus.

"Breaking: Jerry Rawlings, ex-Ghanian president, dies from COVID-19," The Cable reported on microblogging and social networking service, Twitter.

His death comes barely two weeks after buying his mother, Madam Victoria Agbotsui.

It will be recalled that early this year, NPP's Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John was killed by COVID-19.

Until his death, Sir John was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission of Ghana. He had previously served as the General Secretary of the party.

After Sir John's demise, Rawlings is the next high profile political figure to have died from the disease in Ghana this year.

He was 73 years.

About Rawlings

Born on June 22, 1947, Jerry John Rawlings was a retired Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country from 1981 to 2001 and also for a brief period in 1979. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana.

Rawlings initially came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d'état in 1979. Prior to that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place. After initially handing power over to a civilian government, he took back control of the country on 31 December 1981 as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).

In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of the Fourth Republic. He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years. After two terms in office, the limit according to the Ghanaian Constitution, Rawlings endorsed his vice-president John Atta Mills as a presidential candidate in 2000.

He served as the African Union envoy to Somalia.