Stories and facts
On the morning of May 15, 1979, tension gripped Accra as uncertainty swept through the military barracks. Rumours of unrest circulated rapidly among soldiers, each one alert to the possibility of upheaval.
At the centre of this brewing storm was Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, a young and outspoken officer in the Ghana Air Force, known for his boldness and deep dissatisfaction with the country’s leadership. Just weeks before scheduled national elections, Rawlings and a group of junior officers moved to challenge the authority of General Fred Akuffo and the Supreme Military Council, setting in motion a dramatic and consequential chapter in Ghana’s history.
Rawlings wasn’t alone. He was part of the Free Africa Movement, a secret group of officers convinced that only radical action could save Ghana from corruption and decline. Rawlings and six others launched their coup against General Fred Akuffo’s government five weeks before civilian elections.
The plan unravelled almost as soon as it began. According to his close friend Lt. Boakye Djan, Rawlings had tried to recruit him the night before with a simple invitation: “let’s go for a drink.” But by the morning, Djan was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, Rawlings threw his new G3 rifle to the ground, accidentally firing shots that sent soldiers scrambling. The confusion deepened when Rawlings commandeered an armoured car without briefing the driver. The vehicle ended up in a gutter, the operation was in shambles.
As the coup collapsed, Major General Odartey Willington took to the airwaves to announce its failure. Troops from the Fifth Battalion and the Recce Regiment, led by Major Seidu Mahama, were dispatched to track Rawlings down. They found him at the Air Force Station, out of options. Mahama seized Rawlings’ pistol, struck him on the head, and told him, “You don’t stage coups with a pistol”.
Rawlings and his fellow conspirators were arrested and brought before a public court-martial. He was sentenced to death. Yet, as he stood trial, Rawlings spoke not just for himself, but for a generation disillusioned by injustice and corruption. His words resonated with ordinary Ghanaians, earning him unexpected sympathy even as he awaited execution.
The story did not end there. But on this day in 1979, Jerry John Rawlings’ first coup had failed. He was a prisoner, his fate uncertain, but his defiance had already begun to change the course of Ghana’s history.
Explore the timeline to discover more about the life and career of Jerry John Rawlings.