Former Chairperson of the Council of State, Cecilia Johnson, has passed away at the age of 79. She died on Monday, September 22, 2025, after a short illness, according to family and close associates.
Affectionately known as “Auntie Ceci,” Johnson was a towering figure in Ghana’s politics, having served under Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Evans Atta Mills, and John Dramani Mahama.
She first gained national recognition as General Secretary of the 31st December Women’s Movement, an influential organization that championed women’s empowerment in the 1980s and 1990s. She later became Minister of Local Government and Rural Development under Rawlings and went on to chair the Council of State during Mahama’s presidency, succeeding the late Prof. Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor.
Johnson was widely respected as a principled leader and a passionate advocate for women’s participation in governance and youth development. Within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), she was regarded as part of the party’s “Old Guard” — leaders who guided its transformation from a revolutionary movement into one of Ghana’s dominant political forces.
Born in Awua-Domase in today’s Bono Region, she was one of 12 children of Joana Bennett, a highly respected community matriarch. Her long public service career earned her recognition as one of Ghana’s most resilient and inspiring female politicians.
Her death is considered the end of a significant chapter in the NDC and Ghana’s political history, with tributes expected from across the political spectrum.
