This is the complete list of all the presidents who have served Ghana from 1957 till date, Including their period:
Period | President | Party | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
Monarchy (1957-1960) | Queen Elizabeth II | N/A | 1957-1960 |
First Republic (1960-1966) | Kwame Nkrumah | Convention People's Party (CPP) | 1960-1966 |
Military rule (1966-1969) | Lieutenant-General Joseph Arthur Ankrah | N/A | 1966-1969 |
Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa | N/A | 1969-1970 |
|
Second Republic (1969-1972) | Edward Akufo-Addo | Progress Party (PP) | 1970-1972 |
Kofi Abrefa Busia (Acting President) | Progress Party (PP) | 1969-1972 |
|
Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | National Redemption Council (NRC) | 1972-1978 |
|
Lieutenant-General Frederick Kwasi Akuffo | Supreme Military Council (SMC) | 1978-1979 |
|
Third Republic (1979-1981) | Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings | Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) | 1979, 1981-1993 |
Hilla Limann | People's National Convention (PNC) | 1979-1981 |
|
Fourth Republic (since 1993) | Jerry Rawlings | National Democratic Congress (NDC) | 1993-2001 |
John Agyekum Kufuor | New Patriotic Party (NPP) | 2001-2009 |
|
John Atta Mills | National Democratic Congress (NDC) | 2009-2012 |
|
John Dramani Mahama | National Democratic Congress (NDC) | 2012-2017 |
|
Nana Akufo-Addo | New Patriotic Party (NPP) | 2017-present |
How Many Presidents Has Ghana Had Since Independence?
Ghana has had a total of 13 presidents since it gained independence on March 6, 1957. This number includes both elected leaders and military rulers.
Who Was The First President In Ghana And The Year?
The first president of Ghana was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He became the president when Ghana changed from being a British colony called the Gold Coast to a republic.
This event happened on July 1, 1960. Before this, Ghana gained independence on March 6, 1957. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a key leader in the fight for Ghana’s independence.
He was born on September 21, 1909, and he went to the United States to study, where he got involved in politics and the movement for African independence.
Nkrumah led the Convention People’s Party (CPP), which was very influential in the push for independence. After Ghana became independent, he first served as the Prime Minister.
Then, in 1960, after a new constitution was adopted, he became the first president of Ghana. Nkrumah’s presidency was known for his vision of a united Africa and his efforts to promote Pan-Africanism. In the end, his government was overthrown in a coup on February 24, 1966, and he was sent to removal.
READ ALSO: Complete List Of Presidents Of Georgia (1991-Present)
Who Is The 12th President Of Ghana?
The 12th President of Ghana is Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was born on March 29, 1944, in Swalaba, Accra, and he is currently the president of Ghana.
Nana Akufo-Addo is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is one of the major political parties in Ghana. Nana Akufo-Addo first became president on January 7, 2017.
He won the presidential election held in December 2016, defeating the then-president, John Dramani Mahama. He took office right after Mahama, who was the 11th president of Ghana.
Nana Akufo-Addo was re-elected for a second term on December 7, 2020, again beating John Mahama. He started his second term on January 7, 2021.
During his time as president, he has focused on important issues like economic growth, education, and healthcare. One of his notable projects is the “Free Senior High School” policy, which lets students go to senior high school without paying tuition fees.
Before that, Nana Akufo-Addo was the Attorney General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs when John Kufuor was president. Nana Akufo-Addo is also known for supporting democracy and good governance in Ghana.
Who Were The Presidents Of The Fourth Republic Of Ghana?
The Fourth Republic of Ghana started in 1993 and has had several presidents:
1. Jerry Rawlings (1993-2001)
Jerry Rawlings was the first president of the Fourth Republic. He originally came to power through a coup in 1981 and ruled as a military leader until 1993.
Under the new constitution, he was elected president in 1992 and re-elected in 1996. Rawlings led Ghana from 1981 to 1993 as a military head of state before becoming the first president of the Fourth Republic. He was born in 1947 and passed away in 2020 at the age of 73.
2. John Kufuor (2001-2009)
John Kufuor was born in 1938. He was elected president in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. His election was the first peaceful democratic transition of power in Ghana since its independence in 1957.
Kufuor was a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and served two terms as president from 2001 to 2009.
3. John Atta Mills (2009-2012)
John Atta Mills was born in 1944. He became president in 2008 after serving as vice president from 1997 to 2001 under Jerry Rawlings. Sadly, Mills died in office in July 2012 at the age of 68. He was the first Ghanaian president to die while still serving.
4. John Mahama (2012-2017)
John Mahama, born in 1958, was the vice president when Mills died in 2012. He was then sworn in as president and later elected in his own right in 2012. Mahama served as president from 2012 to 2017.
5. Nana Akufo-Addo (2017-present)
Nana Akufo-Addo, born in 1944, was elected president in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Before becoming president, he served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007. He is currently serving his second term.