List of heads of state of Ghana

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Template:Short description Template:Use Ghanaian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists

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

From 1957 to 1960 the head of state under the Constitution of 1957 was the queen of Ghana, Elizabeth II, who was also the monarch of 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. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Reign Royal House Prime minister
Reign start Reign end Duration
1 File:Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (3x4 close cropped).jpg Queen Elizabeth II
(1926–2022)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		6 March 1957 1 July 1960 Template:Ayd Windsor Nkrumah

Governor-general

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

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Denotes Chief Justice acting as Officer Administering the Government
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Term of office Monarch Prime minister
Took office Left office Time in office
1 File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-43-9 - crop.jpg Sir Charles Arden-Clarke
(1898–1962)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		6 March 1957 14 May 1957 Template:Ayd Elizabeth II Nkrumah
— File:Sir-Kobina-Arku-Korsah.jpg Sir Kobina Arku Korsah
(1894–1967)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		14 May 1957 13 November 1957 Template:Ayd
2 File:No image.png William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel
(1906–1997)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		13 November 1957 1 July 1960 Template:Ayd

Republic (1960–present)

Political parties

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Convention People's Party (CPP)

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  People's National Party (PNP)

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  National Democratic Congress (NDC)

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Other factions

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Military

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Independent
Status

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Denotes acting president
Symbols

<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>C Constitutional referendum

<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>† 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. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Elected Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 1 File:Kwame Nkrumah (JFKWHP-AR6409-A).jpg Kwame Nkrumah
(1909–1972)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1960
Template:Text 		1 July 1960 24 February 1966
(Deposed in a coup)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Template:Ayd 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. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 2 File:Joseph Arthur Ankrah in America (cropped).jpg Lieutenant-GeneralScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Joseph Arthur Ankrah
(1915–1992)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the NLCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		24 February 1966 2 April 1969
(Resigned)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Template:Ayd Military
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 3 File:No image.png BrigadierScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Akwasi Afrifa
(1936–1979)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the NLCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2 April 1969 3 September 1969 Template:Ayd

Second Republic (1969–1972)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Elected Term of office Political party Prime minister
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | (3)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:No image.png BrigadierScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Akwasi Afrifa
(1936–1979)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the Presidential CommissionScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— 3 September 1969 7 August 1970 Template:Ayd Military Busia
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | — File:No image.png Nii Amaa Ollennu
(1906–1986)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— 7 August 1970 31 August 1970 Template:Ayd Independent
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 4 File:No image.png Edward Akufo-Addo
(1906–1979)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		— 31 August 1970 13 January 1972
(Deposed in a coup)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Template:Ayd Independent

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 overthrew the Supreme Military Council.[12]

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 5 File:Ignatius Kutu Acheampong illustration.png GeneralScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
(1931–1979)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the NRCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		13 January 1972 5 July 1978
(Deposed in a coup)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Template:Ayd Military
Chairman of the SMC
from 9 October 1975Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 6 File:Fred Akuffo illustration.png Lieutenant-GeneralScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Fred Akuffo
(1937–1979)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the SMCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		5 July 1978 4 June 1979
(Deposed in a coup)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Template:Ayd
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 7 File:Fmr Prez. Rawlings (cropped).jpg Flight LieutenantScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the AFRCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		4 June 1979 24 September 1979 Template:Ayd

Third Republic (1979–1981)

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.[13] In the event of a vacancy the vice-president served as acting president.[14]

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Elected Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 8 File:Hilla Limann.jpg Hilla Limann
(1934–1998)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1979 24 September 1979 31 December 1981
(Deposed in a coup)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Template:Ayd 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. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" | 9 File:JJ Rawlings in Brussels 1998 (P002554000101, cropped).jpg Flight LieutenantScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Chairman of the PNDCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		31 December 1981 7 January 1993 Template:Ayd Military

Fourth Republic (1993–present)

Under the current Constitution the president is head of both state and government.[14][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. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		Elected Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | (9)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:Jerry Rawlings visits AMISOM 02 (6874167713) (cropped).jpg Jerry Rawlings
(1947–2020)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		1992
1996 		7 January 1993 7 January 2001 Template:Age in years years NDC
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 10 File:John Kufuor 080915-A-8817J-090.JPG John Kufuor
(born 1938)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2000
2004 		7 January 2001 7 January 2009 Template:Age in years years NPP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 11 File:John Atta Mills (cropped) (2).jpg John Atta Mills
(1944–2012)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2008 7 January 2009 24 July 2012<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>[†] Template:Ayd NDC
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 12 File:John Dramani Mahama 2014 (cropped).jpg John Mahama
(born 1958)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2012 24 July 2012 7 January 2017 Template:Ayd NDC
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 13 File:Nana Akufo Addo, Jan. 2020.jpg Nana Akufo-Addo
(born 1944)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2016
2020 		7 January 2017 7 January 2025 Template:Age in years years NPP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;" | 14 File:John Dramani Mahama Nov2016 (cropped).jpg John Mahama
(born 1958)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		2024 7 January 2025 Incumbent Template:Ayd NDC

Timeline since 1960

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:120 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = 04/05/2026

Colors = 

 id:ind value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)    legend:None_(Independent)
 id:mil value:rgb(0.76,0.69,0.57) legend:Military
 id:cpp value:rgb(0.81,0.07,0.15) legend:Convention_People's_Party
 id:pnp value:rgb(0.89,0.2,0.18)  legend:People's_National_Party
 id:ndc value:rgb(0.04,0.39,0.21) legend:National_Democratic_Congress
 id:npp value:rgb(0.04,0.18,0.48) legend:New_Patriotic_Party

 id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
 id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1960 till:31/12/2027 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1960 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1960

Legend = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170

TextData = 

 pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M
 text:"Political party:"

BarData = 

bar:Nkrumah
bar:Ankrah
bar:Afrifa
bar:Ollennu
bar:EdwardAkufo-Addo
bar:Acheampong
bar:Akuffo
bar:Rawlings
bar:Limann
bar:Kufuor
bar:Mills
bar:Mahama
bar:NanaAkufo-Addo

PlotData = 

 width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Nkrumah
 from: 01/07/1960 till: 24/02/1966 color:cpp text:"Kwame Nkrumah"
bar:Ankrah
 from: 24/02/1966 till: 02/04/1969 color:mil text:"Joseph Arthur Ankrah"
bar:Afrifa
 from: 02/04/1969 till: 07/08/1970 color:mil text:"Akwasi Afrifa"
bar:Ollennu
 from: 07/08/1970 till: 31/08/1970 color:ind text:"Nii Amaa Ollennu (acting)"
bar:EdwardAkufo-Addo
 from: 31/08/1970 till: 13/01/1972 color:ind text:"Edward Akufo-Addo"
bar:Acheampong
 from: 13/01/1972 till: 05/07/1978 color:mil text:"Ignatius Kutu Acheampong"
bar:Akuffo
 from: 05/07/1978 till: 04/06/1979 color:mil text:"Fred Akuffo"
bar:Rawlings
 from: 04/06/1979 till: 24/09/1979 color:mil
 from: 31/12/1981 till: 28/07/1992 color:mil
 from: 28/07/1992 till: 07/01/2001 color:ndc text:"Jerry Rawlings"
bar:Limann
 from: 24/09/1979 till: 31/12/1981 color:pnp text:"Hilla Limann"
bar:Kufuor
 from: 07/01/2001 till: 07/01/2009 color:npp text:"John Kufuor"
bar:Mills
 from: 07/01/2009 till: 24/07/2012 color:ndc text:"John Atta Mills"
bar:Mahama
 from: 24/07/2012 till: 07/01/2017 color:ndc
 from: 07/01/2025 till: $today     color:ndc text:"John Mahama"
bar:NanaAkufo-Addo
 from: 07/01/2017 till: 07/01/2025 color:npp text:"Nana Akufo-Addo"

</timeline>

Term of office in years

This is a list of each head of state in order of term length.

Of the 12 post monarchy heads of state, only two, Jerry Rawlings and John Mahama, served in two non consecutive periods.

Rank Head of State Political party Longest continuous term Total time in office Periods Cause of end of term
1 Jerry Rawlings Military/National Democratic Congress Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 2 Resignation/Natural expiration
2 John Kufuor New Patriotic Party Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Natural expiration
Nana Akufo-Addo New Patriotic Party Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Natural expiration
4 Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Military Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Deposed
5 Kwame Nkrumah Convention People's Party Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Deposed
6 John Mahama National Democratic Congress Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 2 Natural expiration/In office
7 John Atta Mills National Democratic Congress Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Death
8 Joseph Arthur Ankrah Military Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Resignation
9 Hilla Limann People's National Party Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Deposed
10 Edward Akufo-Addo Independent Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Deposed
11 Akwasi Afrifa Military Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1
12 Fred Akuffo Military Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1 Deposed
– Nii Amaa Ollennu Independent Template:Age in years and days Template:Age in years and days 1

Standards

Demographics

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Head of state Ethnicity Religious affiliation
Kwame Nkrumah Nzema (Akan) Roman Catholic (later Nondenominational Christian)[19]
Joseph Ankrah Ga Methodist
Akwasi Afrifa Ashanti (Akan) Anglican
Nii Amaa Ollennu Ga Presbyterian
Edward Akufo-Addo Akuapem (Akan) Presbyterian
Kofi Abrefa Busia Bono (Akan) Methodist
Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Ashanti (Akan) Roman Catholic
Fred Akuffo Akuapem (Akan) Presbyterian
Hilla Limann Sissala Roman Catholic
Jerry John Rawlings Scottish/Anlo Ewe Roman Catholic
John Agyekum Kufuor Ashanti (Akan) Roman Catholic
John Atta Mills Fante (Akan) Methodist
John Dramani Mahama Gonja Assemblies of God (raised Presbyterian)
Nana Akufo-Addo Akuapem/Akyem (Akan) Anglican (raised Presbyterian)

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Heads of State of Ghana Template:Country topics Template:Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions

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