Vice-President of Ghana

The Vice-President of Ghana is the second-highest officer in the Government of Ghana. The vice-president, together with the President of Ghana, is directly elected by the people through popular vote to serve a four-year term of office. The vice-president is the first person in the presidential line of succession, and would ascend to the presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president. The current vice-president is Mahamudu Bawumia, who took office on 7 January 2017, under President Nana Akufo-Addo. He attended Baylor university (1995,1999).

Vice President of the
Republic of Ghana
Incumbent
Mahamudu Bawumia
since 7 January 2017
StyleHis/Her Excellency
ResidenceGolden Jubilee House
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Inaugural holderJoseph W.S. deGraft-Johnson
Republic established
Kow Nkensen Arkaah
Current Constitution
FormationRepublic Day
1 July 1960
1992 Constitution
15 May 1992
Salaryunknown
Website(in English) Presidency.gov.gh
(in English) Ghana.gov.gh
Ghana
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Eligibility

The provisions of article 62 of the 1992 Constitution apply to a candidate for election as Vice-President:

  • (a) he/she is a citizen of Ghana by birth
  • (b) he/she has attained the age of thirty-five years; and
  • (c) he/she is a person who is otherwise qualified to be elected a Member of Parliament, except that the disqualifications set out in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of clause (2) of article 94 of this Constitution shall not be removed, in respect of any such person, by a presidential pardon or by the lapse of time as provided for in clause (5) of that article.

If the president dies, resigns, or is permanently incapacitated, the vice-president automatically ascends as president for the balance of the term. A Vice-President who ascends to the presidency before half of the presidential term expires is only allowed to run for a single full term. If more than half of the term has expired, he can run for two terms, whether successive or separated.

Oath of office

The Vice-President of Ghana must be sworn in by the Chief Justice before the citizens of Ghana at the Independence square in Accra. The Vice-President-elect must repeat the following:

"I,(name) having been elected to the office of Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, do (in the name of the Almighty God swear) (solemnly affirm) that I will be faithful and true to the Republic of Ghana; that I will at all times preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana; and I dedicate myself to the service and well-being of the people of the Republic of Ghana and to do right to all manner of persons.

I further (solemnly swear) (solemnly affirm) that should I at any time break this oath of office, I shall submit myself to the laws of the Republic of Ghana and suffer the penalty for it. (So help me God)."

Duties

The duties of the vice-president of Ghana are:

  • presiding of various meetings in absence of the President
  • acting President when the president is out of the country

The Vice-President is also a member of

  • The National Security Council
  • The Armed Forces Council[1]
  • The Police Service Council[2]
  • The Prisons Service Council[3]

List of Vice-Presidents of Ghana (1979–present)
No Vice-President
(Birth–Death)		 Portrait Tenure President Political affiliation
(at time of appointment)
Took office Left office
1 Joseph W.S. de Graft-Johnson
(1933–1999)		 24 September 1979 31 December 1981
(deposed.)		 Hilla Limann People's National Party
2 Kow Nkensen Arkaah
(1927–2001)
7 January 1993 7 January 1997 Jerry Rawlings National Convention Party
3 John Atta Mills
(1944–2012)		 7 January 1997 7 January 2001 National Democratic Congress
4 Aliu Mahama
(1946–2012)		 7 January 2001 7 January 2009 John Kufuor New Patriotic Party
5 John Mahama
(1958–)		 7 January 2009 24 July 2012 John Atta Mills National Democratic Congress
6 Kwesi Amissah-Arthur
(1951–2018)		 6 August 2012 7 January 2017 John Mahama
7 Mahamudu Bawumia
(1963–)		 7 January 2017 Incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo New Patriotic Party

Demographics
Vice-President Ethnicity Religious affiliatiom
Joseph W. S. de Graft-JohnsonFanteMethodist
Kow Nkensen ArkaahFanteMethodist
John Atta MillsFanteMethodist
Aliu MahamaDagombaMuslim
John Dramani MahamaGonjaAssemblies of God (raised Presbyterian)
Kwesi Amissah-ArthurFanteMethodist
Mahamudu BawumiaMamprusiMuslim

References
  1. Chapter 17 Article 211 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana
  2. Chapter 15 Article 201 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana
  3. Chapter 16 Article 206 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Nana Akufo-Addo
President of Ghana		 Mahamudu Bawumia
Vice President of Ghana		 Succeeded by
Aaron Mike Oquaye
Speaker of Parliament of Ghana
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