List of heads of state of Ghana

2025-10-24T12:39:17Z

12.74.244.78: /* Military rule (1981–1993) */

{{Short description|None}}
{{Use Ghanaian English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Politics of Ghana}}

This is a list of the '''heads of state of Ghana''', from the independence of [[Ghana]] in 1957 to the present day.<ref>{{Citation|title=Independence, Coups, and the Republic, 1957–present|work=The Ghana Reader|year=2016|pages=299–300|publisher=Duke University Press|doi=10.1215/9780822374961-060|isbn=978-0-8223-7496-1}}</ref>

From 1957 to 1960 the head of state under the [[Constitution of Ghana|Constitution]] of 1957 was the [[queen of Ghana]], [[Elizabeth II]], who was also the monarch of other [[Commonwealth realm]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Magnum Photos|url=https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&STID=2S5RYDIWIN32|website=pro.magnumphotos.com|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> The monarch was represented in Ghana by a governor-general.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Magnum Photos|url=https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&STID=2S5RYDIWIN32|website=pro.magnumphotos.com|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> Ghana became a [[Republics in the Commonwealth of Nations|republic within the Commonwealth]] under the Constitution of 1960 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by an executive [[President of Ghana|president]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ghana – INDEPENDENT GHANA|url=http://countrystudies.us/ghana/14.htm|website=countrystudies.us|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>

==Monarch (1957–1960)==
The succession to the throne was the same as the [[succession to the British throne]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan="3" |Reign
! rowspan="2" |Royal House
! rowspan="2" |[[Prime Minister of Ghana|Prime minister]]
|-
! Reign start
! Reign end
! Duration
|-
! 1
| [[File:Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (3x4 close cropped).jpg|90px]]
| Queen [[Elizabeth II]] {{small|(1926–2022)}}
| {{nowrap|6 March}} 1957
| {{nowrap|1 July}} 1960
| {{ayd|1957|3|6|1960|7|1}}
| [[House of Windsor|Windsor]]
| [[Kwame Nkrumah|Nkrumah]]
|}

===Governor-general===
The governor-general was the representative of the monarch in Ghana and exercised most of the powers of the monarch.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vandrei|first=Martha|date=2018-07-19|title=That ubiquitous monarch|journal=Oxford Scholarship Online|volume=1 |doi=10.1093/oso/9780198816720.003.0007}}</ref> 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]],<ref>{{Citation|last=Ibingira|first=Grace Stuart|title=Ghana|date=2019-04-30|work=African Upheavals Since Independence|pages=51–59|publisher=Routledge|doi=10.4324/9780429052002-4|isbn=978-0-429-05200-2|s2cid=240905963}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Citation|title=Lewis, Sir Allen (Montgomery), (26 Oct. 1909–18 Feb. 1993), Governor-General of St Lucia, 1982–87 (first Governor-General, 1979–80; Governor, 1974–79)|date=2007-12-01|work=Who Was Who|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u173811}}</ref> In the event of a vacancy the [[Chief Justice of Ghana|chief justice]] served as [[Administrator of the government|officer administering the government]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Prempeh|first=H. Kwasi|date=2013-07-30|title=Constitutional autochthony and the invention and survival of "absolute presidentialism" in postcolonial Africa|url=https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781781952108/9781781952108.00020.xml|journal=Order from Transfer|pages=209–234|doi=10.4337/9781781952115.00020|isbn=9781781952115|language=en-US|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

;Status
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes Chief Justice acting as Officer Administering the Government}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Monarch
! rowspan="2" |[[Prime Minister of Ghana|Prime minister]]
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! 1
| [[File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-43-9 - crop.jpg|90px]]
| [[Charles Arden-Clarke|Sir Charles Arden-Clarke]] {{small|(1898–1962)}}
| {{nowrap|6 March}} 1957
| {{nowrap|14 May}} 1957
| {{ayd|1957|3|6|1957|5|14}}
| rowspan=3|[[Elizabeth II]]
| rowspan=3|[[Kwame Nkrumah|Nkrumah]]
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| —
| [[File:Sir-Kobina-Arku-Korsah.jpg|90px]]
| [[Kobina Arku Korsah|Sir Kobina Arku Korsah]] {{small|(1894–1967)}}
| {{nowrap|14 May}} 1957
| {{nowrap|13 November}} 1957
| {{ayd|1957|5|14|1957|11|13}}
|-
! 2
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel]] {{small|(1906–1997)}}
| {{nowrap|13 November}} 1957
| {{nowrap|1 July}} 1960
| {{ayd|1957|11|13|1960|7|1}}
|}

==Republic (1960–present)==
;Political parties
{{legend|{{party color|Convention People's Party}}|[[Convention People's Party]] (CPP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|People's National Party (Ghana)}}|[[People's National Party (Ghana)|People's National Party]] (PNP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|National Democratic Congress (Ghana)}}|[[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|National Democratic Congress]] (NDC)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|New Patriotic Party}}|[[New Patriotic Party]] (NPP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Other factions
{{legend|{{party color|Military rule}}|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Independent politician}}|[[Independent politician|Independent]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Status
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting president}}

;Symbols
{{note label|C|C|C}} Constitutional referendum

{{note label|†|†|†}} 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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Todd E|first=Pettys|date=2018-02-09|title=Part Two The Iowa Constitution and Commentary, Art.IV Executive Department|journal=The Iowa State Constitution|doi=10.1093/law/9780190490836.003.0007}}</ref> The president was elected by [[Parliament of Ghana|Parliament]] for a 5-year term. In the event of a vacancy three members of the Cabinet served jointly as [[acting (law)|acting]] president.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Convention People's Party}}; color:white;" | 1
| [[File:Kwame Nkrumah (JFKWHP-AR6409-A).jpg|90px]]
| [[Kwame Nkrumah]] {{small|(1909–1972)}}
| [[1960 Ghanaian presidential election|1960]] {{Text|[[1964 Ghanaian constitutional referendum|1964]]{{ref label|C|C|C}}}}
| {{nowrap|1 July}} 1960
| {{nowrap|24 February}} 1966 {{small|([[National Liberation Council#1966 coup|Deposed in a coup]])}}
| {{ayd|1960|7|1|1966|2|24}}
| [[Convention People's Party|CPP]]
|}

===Military rule (1966–1969)===
[[Joseph Arthur Ankrah|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.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | 2
| [[File:Joseph Arthur Ankrah in America (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[Joseph Arthur Ankrah|{{small|Lieutenant-General}} Joseph Arthur Ankrah]] {{small|(1915–1992)}} {{small|Chairman of the [[National Liberation Council|NLC]]}}
| {{nowrap|24 February}} 1966
| {{nowrap|2 April}} 1969 {{small|(Resigned)}}
| {{ayd|1966|2|24|1969|4|2}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | 3
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[Akwasi Afrifa|{{small|Brigadier}} Akwasi Afrifa]] {{small|(1936–1979)}} {{small|Chairman of the NLC}}
| {{nowrap|2 April}} 1969
| {{nowrap|3 September}} 1969
| {{ayd|1969|4|2|1969|9|3}}
|}

===Second Republic (1969–1972)===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
! rowspan="2" |[[Prime Minister of Ghana|Prime minister]]
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | {{small|(3)}}
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[Akwasi Afrifa|{{small|Brigadier}} Akwasi Afrifa]] {{small|(1936–1979)}} {{small|Chairman of the Presidential Commission}}
| —
| {{nowrap|3 September}} 1969
| {{nowrap|7 August}} 1970
| {{ayd|1969|9|3|1970|8|7}}
| [[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
| rowspan=3|[[Kofi Abrefa Busia|Busia]]
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black;" | —
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[Nii Amaa Ollennu]] {{small|(1906–1986)}}
| —
| {{nowrap|7 August}} 1970
| {{nowrap|31 August}} 1970
| {{ayd|1970|8|7|1970|8|31}}
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black;" | 4
| [[File:No image.png|90px]]
| [[Edward Akufo-Addo]] {{small|(1906–1979)}}
| —
| {{nowrap|31 August}} 1970
| {{nowrap|13 January}} 1972 {{small|([[National Redemption Council#13 January 1972|Deposed in a coup]])}}
| {{ayd|1970|8|31|1972|1|13}}
| Independent
|}

===Military rule (1972–1979)===
[[Ignatius Kutu Acheampong|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.<ref>{{Citation|title=Busia, Dr. Kofi Abrefa, (11 July 1913–28 Aug. 1978), Prime Minister of Ghana, 1969–72|date=2007-12-01|work=Who Was Who|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/WW/9780199540884.013.u152838}}</ref>

[[Fred Akuffo|Lieutenant General Fred Akuffo]] led a [[palace coup]] which overthrew General Acheampong,<ref>{{Citation|last=Rich|first=Jeremy|title=Akuffo, Fred|date=2011-12-08|work=African American Studies Center|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.48197|isbn=978-0-19-530173-1}}</ref> then [[Jerry Rawlings|Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings]] led a coup d'état which overthrown the [[Supreme Military Council (Ghana)|Supreme Military Council]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Shillington, Kevin.|title=Ghana and the Rawlings factor|date=1992|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=0-333-56845-1|oclc=28182404}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | 5
| rowspan=2|[[File:Ignatius Kutu Acheampong illustration.png|90px]]
| [[Ignatius Kutu Acheampong|{{small|General}} Ignatius Kutu Acheampong]] {{small|(1931–1979)}} {{small|Chairman of the [[National Redemption Council|NRC]]}}
| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|13 January}} 1972
| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|5 July}} 1978 {{small|([[Supreme Military Council (Ghana)#Palace coup|Deposed in a coup]])}}
| rowspan=2|{{ayd|1972|1|13|1978|7|5}}
| rowspan=4|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|-
| {{small|Chairman of the [[Supreme Military Council (Ghana)|SMC]] from 9 October 1975}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | 6
| [[File:Fred Akuffo illustration.png|90px]]
| [[Fred Akuffo|{{small|Lieutenant-General}} Fred Akuffo]] {{small|(1937–1979)}} {{small|Chairman of the SMC}}
| {{nowrap|5 July}} 1978
| {{nowrap|4 June}} 1979 {{small|([[June 4th revolution in Ghana|Deposed in a coup]])}}
| {{ayd|1978|7|5|1979|6|4}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | 7
| [[File:Fmr Prez. Rawlings (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[Jerry Rawlings|{{small|Flight Lieutenant}} Jerry Rawlings]] {{small|(1947–2020)}} {{small|Chairman of the [[Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (Ghana)|AFRC]]}}
| {{nowrap|4 June}} 1979
| {{nowrap|24 September}} 1979
| {{ayd|1979|6|4|1979|9|24}}
|}

===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.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Yankson-Mensah, Marian.|title=Transitional justice in Ghana an appraisal of the National Reconciliation Commission|date=2020|publisher=T.M.C. Asser Press|isbn=978-94-6265-379-5|oclc=1151190908}}</ref> In the event of a vacancy the [[Vice-President of Ghana|vice-president]] served as acting president.<ref name="Nketia 2001">{{Citation |last=Nketia |first=J.H. Kwabena |title=Republic of Ghana [formerly Gold Coast] |date=2001 |series=Oxford Music Online |chapter=Ghana, Republic of |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.11009 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|People's National Party (Ghana)}}; color:white;" | 8
| [[File:Hilla Limann.jpg|90px]]
| [[Hilla Limann]] {{small|(1934–1998)}}
| [[1979 Ghanaian general election|1979]]
| {{nowrap|24 September}} 1979
| {{nowrap|31 December}} 1981 {{small|([[1981 Ghanaian coup d'état|Deposed in a coup]])}}
| {{ayd|1979|9|24|1981|12|31}}
| [[People's National Party (Ghana)|PNP]]
|}

===Military rule (1981–1993)===
[[Jerry Rawlings|Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings]] led a coup d'état which overthrew President Limann and his government, all political parties and Parliament were also dissolved.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gyimah-Boadi, E.|title=Ghana under the PNDC rule|date=1993|publisher=CODESRIA|isbn=2-86978-018-4|oclc=475366719}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Isaacs|first=Anita|title=Development and Reform under Military Rule|date=1993|work=Military Rule and Transition in Ecuador, 1972–92|pages=35–65|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|doi=10.1007/978-1-349-08922-2_3|isbn=978-1-349-08924-6}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Military rule}}; color:black;" | 9
| [[File:JJ Rawlings in Brussels 1998 (P002554000101, cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[Jerry Rawlings|{{small|Flight Lieutenant}} Jerry Rawlings]] {{small|(1947–2020)}} {{small|Chairman of the [[Provisional National Defence Council|PNDC]]}}
| {{nowrap|31 December}} 1981
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 1993
| {{ayd|1981|12|31|1993|1|7}}
| [[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|}

===Fourth Republic (1993–present)===
Under the current Constitution the president is head of both state and government.<ref name="Nketia 2001"/><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Ghana - Constitution & Politics |journal=Ghana - Constitution & Politics |doi=10.1163/2213-2996_flg_com_081034 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Ghana - Constitution & Politics |journal=Ghana - Constitution & Politics |doi=10.1163/2213-2996_flg_com_081034 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name {{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Congress (Ghana)}}; color:white;" | {{small|(9)}}
| [[File:Jerry Rawlings visits AMISOM 02 (6874167713) (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[Jerry Rawlings]] {{small|(1947–2020)}}
| [[1992 Ghanaian presidential election|1992]] [[1996 Ghanaian general election|1996]]
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 1993
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2001
| {{age in years|1993|1|7|2001|1|7}} years
| [[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|NDC]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Patriotic Party}}; color:white;" | 10
| [[File:John Kufuor 080915-A-8817J-090.JPG|90px]]
| [[John Kufuor]] {{small|(born 1938)}}
| [[2000 Ghanaian general election|2000]] [[2004 Ghanaian general election|2004]]
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2001
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2009
| {{age in years|2001|1|7|2009|1|7}} years
| [[New Patriotic Party|NPP]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Congress (Ghana)}}; color:white;" | 11
| [[File:John Atta Mills (cropped) (2).jpg|90px]]
| [[John Atta Mills]] {{small|(1944–2012)}}
| [[2008 Ghanaian general election|2008]]
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2009
| {{nowrap|24 July}} 2012{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| {{ayd|2009|1|7|2012|7|24}}
| [[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|NDC]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Congress (Ghana)}}; color:white;" | 12
| [[File:John Dramani Mahama 2014 (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[John Mahama]] {{small|(born 1958)}}
| [[2012 Ghanaian general election|2012]]
| {{nowrap|24 July}} 2012
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2017
| {{ayd|2012|7|24|2017|1|7}}
| [[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|NDC]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Patriotic Party}}; color:white;" | 13
| [[File:Nana Akufo Addo, Jan. 2020.jpg|90px]]
| [[Nana Akufo-Addo]] {{small|(born 1944)}}
| [[2016 Ghanaian general election|2016]] [[2020 Ghanaian general election|2020]]
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2017
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2025
| {{age in years|2017|1|7|2025|1|7}} years
| [[New Patriotic Party|NPP]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Congress (Ghana)}}; color:white;" | 14
| [[File:John Dramani Mahama Nov2016 (cropped).jpg|90px]]
| [[John Mahama]] {{small|(born 1958)}}
| [[2024 Ghanaian general election|2024]]
| {{nowrap|7 January}} 2025
| Incumbent
| {{ayd|2025|1|7}}
| [[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|NDC]]
|}

==Timeline since 1960==
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:120 left:20
AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

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/{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}}
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]]"

}}

==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.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
|-
!Rank
!Head of State
!Political party
!Longest continuous term
!Total time in office
!Periods
!Cause of end of term
|-
!1
|[[Jerry Rawlings]]
|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]/[[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|National Democratic Congress]]
|{{age in years and days|1981|12|31|2001|1|7}}
|{{age in years and days|1981|9|10|2001|1|7}}
|2
|Resignation/Natural expiration
|-
! rowspan="2"|2
|[[John Kufuor]]
|[[New Patriotic Party]]
|{{age in years and days|2001|1|7|2009|1|7}}
|{{age in years and days|2001|1|7|2009|1|7}}
|1
|Natural expiration
|-
|[[Nana Akufo-Addo]]
|[[New Patriotic Party]]
|{{age in years and days|2017|1|7|2025|1|7}}
|{{age in years and days|2017|1|7|2025|1|7}}
|1
|Natural expiration
|-
!4
|[[Ignatius Kutu Acheampong]]
|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|{{age in years and days|1972|1|13|1978|7|05}}
|{{age in years and days|1972|1|13|1978|7|05}}
|1
|Deposed
|-
!5
|[[Kwame Nkrumah]]
|[[Convention People's Party]]
|{{age in years and days|1960|7|1|1966|2|24}}
|{{age in years and days|1960|7|1|1966|2|24}}
|1
|Deposed
|-
|-bgcolor="lightgreen"
!'''6'''
|'''[[John Mahama]]'''
|'''[[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|National Democratic Congress]]'''
|'''{{age in years and days|2012|7|24|2017|1|7}}'''
|'''{{age in years and days|2020|7|24}}'''
|'''2'''
|Natural expiration/'''In office'''
|-
!7
|[[John Atta Mills]]
|[[National Democratic Congress (Ghana)|National Democratic Congress]]
|{{age in years and days|2009|1|7|2012|7|24}}
|{{age in years and days|2009|1|7|2012|7|24}}
|1
|Death
|-
!8
|[[Joseph Arthur Ankrah]]
|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|{{age in years and days|1966|2|24|1969|4|2}}
|{{age in years and days|1966|2|24|1969|4|2}}
|1
|Resignation
|-
!9
|[[Hilla Limann]]
|[[People's National Party (Ghana)|People's National Party]]
|{{age in years and days|1979|9|24|1981|12|31}}
|{{age in years and days|1979|9|24|1981|12|31}}
|1
|Deposed
|-
!10
|[[Edward Akufo-Addo]]
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|{{age in years and days|1970|8|31|1972|1|13}}
|{{age in years and days|1970|8|31|1972|1|13}}
|1
|Deposed
|-
!11
|[[Akwasi Afrifa]]
|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|{{age in years and days|1969|4|2|1970|8|7}}
|{{age in years and days|1969|4|2|1970|8|7}}
|1
|
|-
!12
|[[Fred Akuffo]]
|[[Ghana Armed Forces|Military]]
|{{age in years and days|1978|7|5|1979|6|4}}
|{{age in years and days|1978|7|5|1979|6|4}}
|1
|Deposed
|-
!–
|[[Nii Amaa Ollennu]]
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|{{age in years and days|1970|8|7|1970|8|31}}
|{{age in years and days|1970|8|7|1970|8|31}}
|1
|
|}

==Standards==
<gallery class="center">
File:Flag of the Governor-General of Ghana (1957-1960).svg|alt=|Governor-General's standard
File:Presidential Standard of Ghana.svg|alt=|Presidential standard
</gallery>

==Demographics==
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2025}}
{| class="wikitable"
! Head of state
! Ethnicity
! Religious affiliation
|-
| Kwame Nkrumah||Nzema (Akan)||Roman Catholic (later Nondenominational Christian)<ref>{{Cite book|last=Miller|first=Jon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QV-hAwAAQBAJ|title=Missionary Zeal and Institutional Control: Organizational Contradictions in the Basel Mission on the Gold Coast 1828-1917|date=2014-05-22|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-87625-7|location=|pages=30|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 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==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Ghana.html World Statesmen – Ghana]
* [http://rulers.org/rulg1.html#ghana Rulers.org – Ghana]

{{Heads of State of Ghana}}
{{Ghana topics}}
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions}}

[[Category:Heads of state of Ghana|*]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in Ghana|H]]
[[Category:Presidents of Ghana|*]]
[[Category:Lists of heads of state|Ghana]]
[[Category:Lists of national presidents|Ghana]]

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

List of heads of state of Ghana