Ex-president John Rawlings has died Cedidollar.com can confirm.

The enigmatic Ghanaian leader died at the country’s foremost Teaching Hospital Korle bu, Thursday morning after a short illness.

Close sources to the ex-president confirmed the death shortly after.

It is not clear yet what he may have died from, even though hospital sources attribute it to Covid 19 related death.

He had for “two days been held at the Covid 19 ICU emergency ward,” the source stated.

Another source, also claimed the ex-president died out of cardiac related ailments. Cedidollar.com cannot independently verify both claims

The close family source however stated, the ex-Ghanaian leader was taken ill barely three weeks ago after the burial of his late mother Victoria Agbotui who was 101-years old.

Mr Rawlings was 73-years-old.

For over four decades Mr Rawlings has been a towering figure in Ghana’s political landscape, loved and hated with equal measure.

He is credited as the founder of the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, the party which has had the largest chunk of the fourth republic with 16-years as government in power.

Mr Rawlings enjoyed eight years of the first sixteen until he handed over power in 2001 to an opposition party led by John Agyekum Kufuor.

Rise of Rawlings

Mr Rawlings was born on June 22, 1947. He attended Achimota SHS and was enrolled into the army shortly after.

Flt Lt John Rawlings shot to fame through a military coup in 1979 which toppled the erstwhile Acheampong regime of the Supreme Military Council.

He had been arrested and put into military custody after an abortive coup five months earlier.

Leaders of the 1979 coup made him the leader of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council which ruled the country for at least three months and handed over power to the duly elected PNP led by Dr Hilla Liman.

Return of Rawlings

Barely two years into the Liman administration, Mr Rawlings returned through another coup d’etat in 1981. He constituted the People’s National Defence Council (PNDC) which ruled the country under a strict military regime for eleven years.

He would later transform the PNDC into a democratic party the NDC which won an election in 1992, started what has remained the fourth republican constitution.

He ruled the country for another eight years and handed over power to a duly elected government in 2001.

He had since remained a statesman but actively involved in the politics of the day. His unbridled criticism of the erstwhile Kufuor regime as well as the John Evans Atta Mills will remain fresh in the minds of many.

He will also be remembered for his “baby with sharp teeth” comment in apparent reference to some members of his party who were in government under the late John Mills as well as John Mahama, persons he said were very insulting.

He is known to be a man of humour and did not waste an opportunity to share same any time he had the platform.

Mr Rawlings is survived by a wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and four children, one of whom is now a Member of Parliament of the Klottey Korle Constituency and is seeking a second term in office.