Meet the 3 female running mates in the 2024 general elections

GhanaWeb Feature by Mandy Agyemang

The pending 2024 general elections has seen an increase in the participation of women in the broader landscape of the nation’s politics.

Previously, the political landscape was largely dominated by men, with little to no representation of women at the highest levels.

However, the status quo has changed as women are increasingly trailblazing their way into the upper echelons of Ghana’s politics.

GhanaWeb takes a look at three women who could make history as potential candidates for Ghana’s first-ever female vice presidency.

1. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

Running on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang was first selected as John Mahama’s vice presidential candidate in 2020.

She is an immediate-past President of Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and Chairperson of its Africa Board.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was appointed the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in 2008, breaking the glass ceiling as the first female vice chancellor of a public university in Ghana.

In October 2009, she was elected Ghana’s representative to UNESCO’s Executive Board, following which she was re-elected for a second term.

She also served as Minister of Education under John Dramani Mahama's administration.

2. Elizabeth Sam

Elizabeth Sam is married with three children.

At her unveiling, she said she would valiantly support the LPG presidential candidate to ensure inclusivity and equality, as well as equal opportunities for all Ghanaians.

“I will also ensure that the implementation of the social contract that our manifesto has tabled would be realised through the institutional structures that already exist to give a better life to the citizens,” she added.

The pretty petite precious running mate urged the electorate to vote for Mr Akpaloo as their president for a better Ghana.

3. Dr. Maryam Esaka Kriesie

Partnering Nana Kwame Bediako as his running mate, Dr. Maryam Esaka Kriesie is a finance professional and academic with extensive experience in Ghana’s financial sector.

She previously served as a Senior Manager at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Ghana, where she was responsible for overseeing investments, licensing capital market operators, and contributing to regulatory frameworks that have strengthened the country’s capital markets.

In addition to her role at the SEC, Dr. Kriesie has a distinguished academic career, having lectured at the University of Ghana Business School and the University of Professional Studies, Accra.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Finance, an MBA, and certifications in Islamic Finance and ERP software, according to citinewsroom.com.