This is a list of the heads of state of Ghana, from the independence of Ghana in 1957 to the present day.
From 1957 to 1960 the head of state under the Constitution of 1957 was the Queen of U.K, Elizabeth II, who was also the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.[1] The monarch was represented in Ghana by a governor-general.[2] Ghana became a republic within the Commonwealth under the Constitution of 1960 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by an executive president.[3]
The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.
The governor-general was the representative of the monarch in Ghana and exercised most of the powers of the monarch.[4] 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, 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. In the event of a vacancy the chief justice served as officer administering the government.[5]
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Monarch | Prime minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | Sir Charles Arden-Clarke | 1957 | 1957 | Elizabeth II | Nkrumah | ||
| — | Sir Kobina Arku Korsah | 1957 | 1957 | ||||
| 2 | The Earl of Listowel | 1957 | 1960 | ||||
Died in office
Under the Constitution of 1960, the first constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the president replaced the monarch as executive head of state.[6] 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.
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.
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 2 | Joseph Arthur Ankrah | 1966 | 1969 | Military | ||
| 3 | Akwasi Afrifa | 1969 | 1969 | |||
| Portrait | Name | Elected | Term of office | Political party | Prime minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| Akwasi Afrifa | — | 1969 | 1970 | Military | Busia | |||
| — | Nii Amaa Ollennu | — | 1970 | 1970 | Independent | |||
| 4 | Edward Akufo-Addo | — | 1970 | 1972 | Independent | |||
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.
Lieutenant General Fred Akuffo led a palace coup which overthrew General Acheampong, then Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings led a coup d'état which overthrown the Supreme Military Council.[7]
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 5 | Ignatius Kutu Acheampong | 1972 | 1978 | Military | ||
| 6 | Fred Akuffo | 1978 | 1979 | |||
| 7 | Jerry Rawlings | 1979 | 1979 | |||
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.[8] In the event of a vacancy the vice-president served as acting president.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings led a coup d'état which overthrew President Limann and his government, all political parties and Parliament were also dissolved.[9]
Under the current Constitution the president is head of both state and government.[10] 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.[11]
| Portrait | Name | Elected | Term of office | Political party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| Jerry Rawlings | 1992 1996 | 1993 | 2001 | years | NDC | |||
| 8 | John Kufuor | 2000 2004 | 2001 | 2009 | years | NPP | ||
| 9 | John Atta Mills | 2008 | 2009 | 2012 | NDC | |||
| 10 | John Mahama | 2012 | 2012 | 2017 | NDC | |||
| 11 | Nana Akufo-Addo | 2016 2020 | 2017 | Incumbent | NPP | |||
| Head of state | Ethnicity | Religious affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwame Nkrumah | Nzema (Akan) | Roman Catholic (later Nondenominational Christian)[12] | |
| 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) |