Nana Akufo-Addo

In October 1998, Akufo-Addo competed for the presidential candidacy of the NPP[15] and lost to John Kufuor, who subsequently won the December 2000 presidential election and assumed office as President of Ghana in January 2001. Akufo-Addo was the chief campaigner for Kufuor in the 2000 election. He became the first Attorney General and Minister for Justice of the Kufuor era, and later moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).[22][23]

In 2007, he was the popular candidate tipped to win New Patriotic Party's presidential primaries.[24] In 2008, Akufo-Addo represented NPP in a closely contested election against John Atta Mills of NDC.[25] In the first round of voting, Akufo-Addo tallied 49.13%, leading Atta Mills with a slim margin that was below the constitutional threshold of 50% to become the outright winner.[26]

Akufo-Addo ran again as NPP's presidential candidate in the 2012 national elections against NDC's John Mahama, successor to the late Atta Mills. Mahama was declared the winner of the election, an outcome that was legally challenged by Akufo-Addo.[27] The court case generated considerable controversy, and was finally decided by the Ghana Supreme Court in a narrow 5/4 decision in favour of Mahama. Akufo-Addo accepted the verdict in the interest of economic stability and international goodwill.[11]

In March 2014, Akufo-Addo announced his decision to seek his party's nomination for the third time ahead of the 2016 election. In the NPP primary conducted in October 2014, he was declared victor with 94.35% of the votes.[28] Akufo-Addo also served as Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Mission for the South African elections in 2014.[29][30]

He focused his campaign on the economy, promising to stabilise the country's foreign exchange rate and to reduce unemployment levels.[31] On 9 December 2016, sitting president Mahama conceded defeat to Akufo-Addo.[32] Akufo-Addo won the election with 53.83% of the votes against Mahama's 44.4%.[33]

Nana Addo signed up for re-election by picking a nomination form as flagbearer of the New patriotic party ahead of the 2020 general elections.[34] On 9 December 2020, Nana Addo was declared the winner of the 7 December 2020 Ghana Presidential election after securing a majority of 51.59% of the votes.[8][35]

Akufo-Addo took office on 7 January 2017. His inauguration was held at Black Star Square in Accra. Twelve presidents from African and European countries attended the ceremony, including Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.[36][37][38]

Akufo-Addo faced backlash, especially on social media, for plagiarising parts of his inauguration speech, having lifted passages, word-for-word, from previous inaugural addresses given by American presidents John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as well as prepared remarks given by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at a 2015 United States Institute of Peace event.[39][40][41][42][43][44] After the scandal came to light, his press office issued an apology, with his communication director describing the situation as a "complete oversight and never deliberate."[45][46][47] However, after the mea culpa, it was found that Akufo-Addo had also plagiarised portions of his 2013 concession speech after the Supreme Court of Ghana upheld the 2012 electoral victory of President John Mahama. In that speech, lines were lifted verbatim from United States Vice-President Al Gore's 2000 presidential concession speech given after the US Supreme Court verdict.[48][49][50]

In September 2017, the president launched the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, which will make secondary high school free for students in Ghana. The president states it is a "necessary investment in the nation's future workforce" and will help parents who are unable to pay for their children's education due to financial hardships. The program met with positive reaction from the nation, parents and students were excited and fervent, but private schools opposed to the program state it will decrease the number of students enrolling in their system.[51][52]

In 2018, the president introduced the 7-year Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies which is expected to create jobs for the country. According to the president, the policies are founded on "five pillars of growth and development, namely revitalizing the economy; transform agriculture and industry; revamping economic and social infrastructure; strengthening social protection and inclusion; and reforming delivery system of public services institutions.[53]

In February 2019, Akuffo-Addo's administration announced a complete renovation of sports buildings around Ghana due to the country hosting the Africa Games in 2023. Buildings include Accra and Cape Coast Sports Stadium and the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex in Kaneshie. The University of Ghana Sports Stadium whose renovations were abandoned in 2009 after former President John Kufuor left office will also proceed.[54]

In 2019, the number of regions in Ghana increased from ten to sixteen under the president's administration. The new regions are Oti, Western North, North East, Ahafo (splitting from Brong), Savannah and Bono East Regions. The creations of the regions end decades of petitions to the government calling for the development of new regions.[55]

In 2020, he signed the UNAIDS Public Letter on People's Vaccine which was a campaign calling for accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine to all. He joined other world leaders in the signing. He wrote "all people everywhere must have access to the vaccine when one becomes available." Concerns were raised that people in richer countries may have quicker access to the vaccine than poor countries which led to the writing of an open letter that any vaccine against the disease should be free and made available at no cost to all people.[2]

In May 2020, he swore into office two appointed Supreme Court Judges, Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu and Clemence Jackson Honyenuga at the Jubilee House.[56][57]

Akufo-Addo was presented with the Mother Theresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice in 2016 by the Harmony Foundation for sacrificing political ambitions for the sake of national peace and reconciliation.[66]

In 2017, he received the National Achievement Award by the Africa-America Institute’s on behalf of the people of Ghana. The award was given to recognise Ghana as a country which represents freedom, democracy and stability in Africa.[67]

Akufo-Addo was given an award for Exemplary Leadership in June 2018 by the Whitaker Group.[68][69] In August 2018 he received the African Port Award by The African Port Award (APA) Foundation for his projects on modernising Ghana's ports.[70] In September 2018, the U.S. Africa Business Centre of the United States Chamber of Commerce presented Akufo-Addo with the 2018 Outstanding Leader's Award in recognition of regional, diplomatic, and economic leadership in Africa.[71][72][73] In October 2018 he received the 2018 Governance Leadership Award "in recognition of his commitment towards enhancing the living standards of the Ghanaians and governing the country in accordance with the rule of law".[74]

In May 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres named Akufo-Addo among the newly appointed SDG advocates as co-chair alongside the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg.[75] The role of these advocates is to raise awareness, inspire greater ambition, and push for faster action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In June 2019, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) announced it will honour Akufo-Addo with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Merit Award for Heads of State due to his tremendous contribution to sports development and projects in Ghana and for the successful bid for Ghana to host the 2023 African Games.[76]

Nana Akufo-Addo was honoured at the fourth Ghana Hotels Association Awards, held on 20 January 2020, for demonstrating visionary leadership by declaring the year of return and ensuring its successful execution.[34]

•  Guyana:
  • Member of the Order of Excellence (2019) [77]
•  Ivory Coast:
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of the Ivory Coast[78]
•  Liberia:
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Pioneers of Liberia (2017)[79]
•  Senegal:
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion (2017) [80]