Ghana got her independence in 1957 but according to the Ghana Independent Act, the monarch was still acting as the head of state but was represented in Ghana by a Governor-General. By 1960, when Ghana became a republic, the Governor-General was replaced by an executive president. In today’s article, we’ve decided to bring you a comprehensive list of the executive presidents of Ghana from 1960 till date, we hope you’ll find this list informative. Here Goes a Comprehensive List of Presidents of Ghana From 1960 till Date:
Presidents of Ghana
1. Kwame Nkrumah
Born: September 21, 1909, Nkroful, Ghana
Years of Service: September 21, 1909, to April 27, 1972
The first Executive president of Ghana and first Prime minister of Ghana (1 July 1960 – 26 February 1966) who died on 27 April 1972. Kwame Nkrumah was a very influential 20th-century advocate of Pan-Africanism who was also a founding member of the defunct Organisation of African Unity
2. Joseph Arthur Ankrah
Joseph Ankrah served as the Ghanaian chief of defence staff before he took over from Kwameh Nkrumah. He was the second head of state from 24 February 1966 to 2 April 1969 but later died on 25 November 1992.
See Also: Top 100+ Most Famous Ghanaians Ever
3. Akwasi Afrifa
Born: April 24, 1936, Ashanti Region, Ghana
Years of Office: April 24, 1936 – June 26, 1979
He took over from Joseph Ankrah and became the third executive president of Ghana (2 April 1969 – 7 August 1970). Just like his predecessor, he was also a lieutenant in the Ghana Armed Forces. Akwasi Afrifa was executed together with two other former heads of state and four Generals, eight days after he was elected in the Parliament of the Third Republic of Ghana
4. Nii Amaa Ollennu
Born: May 21, 1906, Accra, Ghana
Years of Service: August 7, 1970 to August 31, 1970
Nii Ollennu was an interim president of Ghana who was inaugurated into office on 7 August 1970 as an acting president and his term ended on the 31 August 1970. At that time, he was also the Chairman of the Presidential Commission.
5. Edward Akufo-Addo
Born: June 26, 1906, Dodowa, Ghana
Years of Service: August 31, 1970 to January 13, 1972
Edward Akufo Addo was inaugurated into office on the 31 August 1970, his tenure ended on 13 January 1972 and he died on 17th July 1979. He was one of the founding fathers of Ghana who fought for the country’s independence.
Also see: 100 Most influential Ghanaians [The Final List]
6. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
Born: September 23, 1931, Kumasi, Ghana
Years of Service: January 13, 1972 to July 5, 1978
Acheampong ruled as the military head of state of Ghana. He was executed in June 1979 together with some other former heads of state for involvement in a coup d’état.
7. Fred Akuffo
Born: March 21, 1937, Akropong, Ghana
Years of Service: July 5, 1978 – June 4, 1979, under the military regime.
Lieutenant General Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo was a soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and the chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council (SMC) in Ghana. He came to power in a military coup, was overthrown in another military coup and executed three weeks later. His rule lasted for a year.
8. Jerry Rawlings
Born: June 22, 1947, Accra, Gold Coast
Political Party: National Democratic Congress, NDC
Years of Service: 1968 –1992
Rawlings took over power after a coup d’état in 1979 and was inaugurated on 4th June 1979, he later handed over power to civilians on 24 September 1979. Rawlings later took over power the second time on 31 December 1981 until 7th January 1993.
Rawlings and the soldiers around him were the pioneers of Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) that led to the “a housecleaning exercise”, that purge Ghanaian society of all the corruption and social injustices that they perceived to be at the root of their coup d’état.
9. Hilla Limann
Born: December 12, 1934, Gold Coast
Political Party: People’s National Party (PNP)
Years of Service: September 24, 1979, to December 31, 1981
Limann was elected, as well as deposed in a military coup led by Jerry Rawlings on December 3, 1981, this was the only president of the third republic of Ghana. After serving the country for two years, Hilla Liman turned diplomat and served in Switzerland. He eventually died of natural causes on January 23, 1998.
10. John Kufuor
Born: December 8, 1938, Kumasi, Ghana
Political Party: New Patriotic Party, NPP
Years of Service: January 7, 2001, to January 7, 2009
John Kufuor became joined the list of presidents of Ghana after the Jerry Rawling’s second tenure. Kufuor victory marked the first peaceful democratic transition of power in Ghana since the country’s independence in 1957.
11. John Atta Mills
Born: 21 July 1944, Tarkwa, Ghana
Political Party: National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Years of Service: January 7, 2009, to July 24, 2012
He was inaugurated as head of state on January 7, 2009, his term ended on July 24, 2012, which was actually the day he died, making him the first Ghanaian head of state to die in office.
12. John Dramani Mahama
Born: November 29, 1958, Damongo, Ghana
Political Party: National Democratic Congress, NDC
Years of Service: July 24, 2012, to January 7, 2017.
John Dramani Mahama has been the vice president from 2009 to 2012 but had to take over the office of the president of Ghana after the death of president John Atta Mills. He served as one of the presidents of Ghana from
13. Nana Akufo-Addo
Born: March 29, 1944, Accra, Ghana
Political Party: New Patriotic Party, NPP
Year of Service: January 2017 to Present
Before he mounted the seat as one of the presidents of Ghana, Akufo-Addo served as Attorney General (2001 – 2003) and also as Minister for Foreign Affairs (2003 – 2007). He has aspired for the presidency since 2008 and lost twice but finally defeated Mahama in the third attempt, on January 2017, winning 53.85% votes in the first round, an unprecedented defeat ever for the first time in the history of Ghana.
