List of heads of state of Ghana

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This is a list of the heads of state of Ghana, from the independence of Ghana in 1957 to the present day. [1]

Contents

From 1957 to 1960 the head of state under the Constitution of 1957 was the Queen of Ghana, Elizabeth II, who was also the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. [2] The monarch was represented in Ghana by a governor-general. [3] Ghana became a republic within the Commonwealth under the Constitution of 1960 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by an executive president. [4]

Monarch (1957–1960)

The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
ReignRoyal House Prime minister
Reign startReign endDuration
1 Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (cropped) (3-to-4 aspect ratio).jpg Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022)
6 March 19571 July 19603 years, 117 days Windsor Nkrumah

Governor-general

Flag of the governor-general of Ghana Flag of the Governor-General of Ghana (1957-1960).svg
Flag of the governor-general of Ghana

The governor-general was the representative of the monarch in Ghana and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. [5] The governor-general was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch. Since Ghana was granted independence by the Ghana Independence Act 1957, rather than being first established as a semi-autonomous Dominion and later promoted to independence by the Statute of Westminster 1931, [6] the governor-general was to be always appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of Ghana without the involvement of the British government, with the sole exception of Charles Arden-Clarke, the former colonial governor, who served as governor-general temporarily until he was replaced by William Hare. [7] In the event of a vacancy the chief justice served as officer administering the government. [8]

Status
  Denotes Chief Justice acting as Officer Administering the Government
No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officeMonarch Prime minister
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 The National Archives UK - CO 1069-43-9 - crop.jpg Sir Charles Arden-Clarke
(1898–1962)
6 March 195714 May 195769 days Elizabeth II Nkrumah
Sir-Kobina-Arku-Korsah.jpg Sir Kobina Arku Korsah
(1894–1967)
14 May 195713 November 1957183 days
2 No image.png The Earl of Listowel
(1906–1997)
13 November 19571 July 19602 years, 231 days

Republic (1960–present)

Political parties
   Convention People's Party (CPP)
   People's National Party (PNP)
   National Democratic Congress (NDC)
   New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Other factions
   Military
   Independent
Status
  Denotes acting president
Symbols

C Constitutional referendum

Died in office

First Republic (1960–1966)

Under the Constitution of 1960, the first constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the president replaced the monarch as executive head of state. [9] The president was elected by Parliament for a 5-year term. In the event of a vacancy three members of the Cabinet served jointly as acting president.

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
ElectedTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 The National Archives UK - CO 1069-50-1.jpg Kwame Nkrumah
(1909–1972)
1960
1964 [C]
1 July 196026 February 1966
(Deposed in a coup)
5 years, 240 days CPP

Military rule (1966–1969)

Lieutenant-General Joseph Arthur Ankrah led a coup d'état which overthrew President Nkrumah and his government, all political parties and Parliament were also dissolved.

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
2 Joseph Arthur Ankrah in America (cropped).jpg Lieutenant-General Joseph Arthur Ankrah
(1915–1992)
Chairman of the NLC
24 February 19662 April 1969
(Resigned)
3 years, 37 days Military
3 No image.png Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa
(1936–1979)
Chairman of the NLC
2 April 19693 September 1969154 days

Second Republic (1969–1972)

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
ElectedTerm of officePolitical party Prime minister
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
(3) No image.png Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa
(1936–1979)
Chairman of the Presidential Commission
3 September 19697 August 1970338 days Military Busia
No image.png Nii Amaa Ollennu
(1906–1986)
7 August 197031 August 197024 days Independent
4 No image.png Edward Akufo-Addo
(1906–1979)
31 August 197013 January 1972
(Deposed in a coup)
1 year, 135 daysIndependent

Military rule (1972–1979)

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a coup d'état which overthrew President Akufo-Addo, Prime Minister Abrefa Busia and his government, all political parties, and Parliament were also dissolved. [10]

Lieutenant General Fred Akuffo led a palace coup which overthrew General Acheampong, [11] then Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings led a coup d'état which overthrown the Supreme Military Council. [12]

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
5 No image.png General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
(1931–1979)
Chairman of the NRC
13 January 19725 July 1978
(Deposed in a coup)
6 years, 173 days Military
Chairman of the SMC
from 9 October 1975
6 No image.png Lieutenant-General Fred Akuffo
(1937–1979)
Chairman of the SMC
5 July 19784 June 1979
(Deposed in a coup)
334 days
7 Fmr Prez. Rawlings (cropped).jpg Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)
Chairman of the AFRC
4 June 197924 September 1979112 days

Third Republic (1979–1981) [13]

Under the Constitution of 1979 the president was head of both state and government. The president was directly elected and served a four-year term that expired at the next general election; a president might serve a maximum of two terms. [14] In the event of a vacancy the vice-president served as acting president. [13]

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
ElectedTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
8 Hilla Limann.jpg Hilla Limann
(1934–1998)
1979 24 September 197931 December 1981
(Deposed in a coup)
2 years, 98 days PNP

Military rule (1981–1993)

Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings led a coup d'état which overthrew President Limann and his government, all political parties and Parliament were also dissolved. [15] [16]

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
(7) Fmr Prez. Rawlings (cropped).jpg Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)
Chairman of the PNDC
31 December 19817 January 199311 years, 7 days Military

Fourth Republic (1993–present)

Under the current Constitution the president is head of both state and government. [13] [17] The president is directly elected and serves a four-year term that expires at the next general election; a president may serve a maximum of two terms. In the event of a vacancy, the vice-president serves the remaining time as the president. [18]

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
ElectedTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
(7) Fmr Prez. Rawlings (cropped).jpg Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)
1992
1996
7 January 19937 January 20018 years NDC
8 John Kufuor 080915-A-8817J-090.JPG John Kufuor
(born 1938)
2000
2004
7 January 20017 January 20098 years NPP
9 John Atta Mills.jpg John Atta Mills
(1944–2012)
2008 7 January 200924 July 2012 [†] 3 years, 199 days NDC
10 John Dramani Mahama Aug2014 (cropped).jpg John Mahama
(born 1958)
2012 24 July 20127 January 20174 years, 167 days NDC
11 Nana Akufo Addo, Jan. 2020.jpg Nana Akufo-Addo
(born 1944)
2016
2020
7 January 2017Incumbent7 years, 301 days NPP

Timeline since 1960

Nana Akufo-AddoJohn MahamaJohn Atta MillsJohn KufuorHilla LimannJerry RawlingsFred AkuffoIgnatius Kutu AcheampongEdward Akufo-AddoNii Amaa OllennuAkwasi AfrifaJoseph Arthur AnkrahKwame NkrumahList of heads of state of Ghana

Demographics

Head of stateEthnicityReligious affiliation
Kwame NkrumahNzema (Akan)Roman Catholic (later Nondenominational Christian) [19]
Joseph AnkrahGaMethodist
Akwasi AfrifaAshanti (Akan)Anglican
Nii Amaa OllennuGaPresbyterian
Edward Akufo-AddoAkuapem (Akan)Presbyterian
Kofi Abrefa BusiaBono (Akan)Methodist
Ignatius Kutu AcheampongAshanti (Akan)Roman Catholic
Fred AkuffoAkuapem (Akan)Presbyterian
Hilla LimannSissalaRoman Catholic
Jerry John RawlingsScottish/Anlo EweRoman Catholic
John Agyekum KufuorAshanti (Akan)Roman Catholic
John Atta MillsFante (Akan)Methodist
John Dramani MahamaGonjaAssemblies of God (raised Presbyterian)
Nana Akufo-AddoAkuapem/Akyem (Akan)Anglican (raised Presbyterian)

Standards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Ghana</span>

The area of the Republic of Ghana became known in Europe and Arabia as the Ghana Empire after the title of its Emperor, the Ghana. Geographically, the ancient Ghana Empire was approximately 500 miles (800 km) north and west of the modern state of Ghana, and controlled territories in the area of the Sénégal River and east towards the Niger rivers, in modern Senegal, Mauritania and Mali. The empire appears to have broken up following the 1076 conquest by the Almoravid General Abu-Bakr Ibn-Umar. A reduced kingdom continued to exist after Almoravid rule ended, and the kingdom was later incorporated into subsequent Sahelian empires, such as the Mali Empire. Around the same time, south of the Mali empire in present-day northern Ghana, the Kingdom of Dagbon emerged. The decentralised states ruled by the tindaamba were unified into a kingdom. Many sub-kingdoms would later arise from Dagbon including the Mossi Kingdoms of Burkina Faso and Bouna Kingdom of Ivory Coast. Dagbon pioneered Ghana's earliest learning institutions, including a university town, and a writing system prior to European arrival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Rawlings</span> Leader of Ghana between 1979 and 2001

Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana. He was the longest-serving leader in Ghana's history, presiding over the country for 20 years.

Lieutenant General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, traditional ruler and politician. He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970. He continued as a farmer and political activist. He was elected a member of Parliament in 1979, but he was executed before he could take his seat. He was executed together with two other former heads of state, General Kutu Acheampong and General Fred Akuffo, and five other generals, in June 1979. He was also popularly referred to by his title Okatakyie Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa and was in addition the abakomahene of Krobo in the Asante-Mampong Traditional Area of the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convention People's Party</span> Political party in Ghana

The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a socialist political party in Ghana based on the ideas of the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The CPP was formed in June 1949 after Nkrumah broke away from the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of Ghana</span> Parliament in Ghana since 1950

The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime Minister of Ghana</span> Head of government in Ghana; 1957–1960 and 1969–1972

The prime minister of Ghana was the head of government of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1969 to 1972.

The Progress Party (PP) was the ruling party in Ghana during the Second Republic (1969–1972). In the 29 August 1969 elections, the PP won 105 of the National Assembly's 140 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. R. T. Madjitey</span> Ghanaian police officer, diplomat and politician

Erasmus Ransford Tawiah Madjitey, was a Ghanaian police officer, diplomat and politician. He was appointed Police Commissioner in the Dominion of Ghana on 9 October 1958, making him not only the first Ghanaian to head the Ghana Police Service, but also the first African south of the Sahara and in the British Commonwealth to command a police force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Joseph Felli</span>

Colonel Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli was a soldier and politician who was once the foreign minister of Ghana.

Victor Owusu was a Ghanaian politician and lawyer. He served as Attorney General and Minister for Justice on two occasions which were under the NLC and then Busia regime and also became Minister for Foreign Affairs under the Busia regime. He was the Popular Front Party's presidential candidate for the 1979 Ghanaian general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Ghana</span>

The mass media in Ghana, includes television, radio, internet publishing and newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Ghanaian history</span>

Ghana gained independence from the British on 6 March 1957. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The country became a republic on July 1, 1960.

1970s in Ghana details events of note that happened in Ghana in the years 1970 to 1979.

The National Reconciliation Commission was established in January 2002 by the Parliament of Ghana. The goal of the commission was to establish an "accurate, complete and historical record of violations and abuses of human rights inflicted on persons by public institutions and holders of public office during periods of unconstitutional government." The Commission was formed after a new democratic party won the elections in 2000. The Commission covered human rights violations in Ghana from 1957 to 1993. It looked into government abuses and military coups staged by former president Jerry Rawlings. The members of the Commission worked until the end of 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political history of Ghana</span>

The Political history of Ghana recounts the history of varying political systems that existed in Ghana during pre-colonial times, the colonial era and after independence. Pre-colonial Ghana was made up of several states and ethnic groups whose political system was categorized by 3 main administrative models; Centralized, Non-centralized and Theocratic states. In the colonial era, the British Empire employed different forms of government among its four territorial possessions in the Gold Coast. Indirect rule was implemented in the late 19th century after its success in Northern Nigeria. From the 1940s, native Ghanaians yearned for more autonomy. This resulted in the several constitutional reforms as well as the creation of the office of the Prime Minister in 1952.

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