President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has turned 80 years old today, Friday, March 29, 2024.
This makes him the first President to attain 80 years of age while at the helm of affairs of the government of Ghana.
The President was 72 years old when he gave his closest contender and incumbent President, John Dramani Mahama, a million-vote gap in the December 2016 polls.
About President Akufo-Addo
Nana Akufo-Addo was born on March 29, 1944, in Accra, Ghana (then the Gold Coast). William Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the son of Edward Akufo-Addo and his wife Adeline.
He was born into a family with a long history of public service and political activism.
Three of the founding fathers of Ghana were his blood relatives: J.B. Danquah (grand uncle), William Ofori Atta (uncle), and his father, Edward Akufo-Addo, who became the third Chief Justice and later ceremonial President of the Republic from 1970 to 1972.
Akufo-Addo went to the Government Boys School and the Rowe Road School in Accra. His secondary school was Lacing College in England, where he studied from 1957 to 1961.
He enrolled at the University of Ghana in Accra in 1964 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1967.
He later returned to the United Kingdom to study law. He was admitted to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in 1971, and the Ghana Bar in 1975.
In 1992, Akufo-Addo joined the New Patriotic Party and ran for Ghana’s parliament. Between 1996 and 2008, he spent three terms in parliament.
He previously served as Minister of Justice in the national government from 2001 to 2003, and as Foreign Minister from 2003 to 2007.
In 2008, Akufo-Addo became the flagbearer for the NPP ahead of the December 2008 elections. He received 49% of the vote, falling short of the 50%+1 threshold required for victory.
A runoff election was held, with Akufo-Addo receiving 49.7% of the vote and the winner, John Evans Atta Mills, receiving 50.23 percent.
Akufo-Addo lost a close race for president again in 2012. He and his party filed a legal challenge, citing election irregularities.
The Supreme Court ruled against Akufo-Addo. He accepted the judgment and urged his supporters to do the same. Failing his second attempt at the presidency.
In the 2016 election, Akufo-Addo made his third and possibly final attempt at landing the top job in the land.
On the back of huge campaign promises such as Free SHS, One District One Factory, One Constituency One Ambulance, amongst other promises, won the election on December 7, 2016 and was sworn in on January 7, 2017.
However, the 2020 election saw a legal challenge to his victory. The Supreme Court rejected the case, and Akufo-Addo was sworn in for his second term on January 7, 2021.
President Akufo-Addo has been criticised for his project to build a national cathedral at an estimated cost of $200 million.
Also, the Akufo-Addo government eventually withdrew the Agyapa Gold Royalties deal from parliament. The deal was also heavily criticised for its lack of transparency.
Nonetheless, President Akufo-Addo is credited with championing education amongst Ghanaian youth through the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy.
President Nana Akufo-Addo and his wife, the First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, have five daughters: Gyankroma, Edwina Nana Duka, Adriana Duka, Yeboakua, and Valerie Obaze. They also have five grandchildren.
Happy birthday Mr. President.
By Emmanuel Kwarteng
