At least since the Fourth Republic began in 1992, the country has had some very great politicians occupying various roles.
But how many of the top Ghanaian politicians do you know? The country may not currently be at the level it’s supposed to be, but great strides have been made.
From Presidents to Ministers to Members of Parliament (MPs), a lot of people have played huge roles in Ghana’s fledgling democracy.
Here are the current top Ghanaian politicians to know:
Nana Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is the incumbent President of Ghana, having won the 2016 presidential elections.
The 76-year-old was born in Swalaba Accra to Edward Akufo-Addo (who also served as President of Ghana) and Adeline Akufo-Addo
Despite training as a lawyer, Akufo-Addo’s first major foray into politics was when he became MP for the Abuakwa Constituency from 1997 to 2004.
He also became the Attorney General under the John Agyekum Kufuor administration, before later being moved to become Foreign Affairs Minister.
Akufo-Addo contested for Ghana’s Presidency thrice, losing in 2008 and 2012, before finally winning in the 2016 elections.
John Dramani Mahama
John Mahama is a communication expert, a former president and currently the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He was Vice President of John Evans Atta Mills, but succeeded the President following his unfortunate passing in July 2012.
Mahama was subsequently elected President of Ghana after the December 2012 elections, but lost in his bid for a second term to the NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo in 2016 Jerry John Rawlings.
Before all that, though, he served in various capacities. Mahama first served as MP for the Bole/Bamboi Constituency from 1996 to 2000. He was also made Deputy Minister of Communications in 1997.
He rose to Minister of Communications in 1998, before contesting and winning the Bole/Bamboi seat again in 2000 and 2004. Mahama was the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications from 2001 to 2004.
John Agyekum Kufuor
John Agyekum Kufuor is one of the most distinguished political personalities in Ghana at the moment, having served as President from 2001 to 2009.
Kufuor started his political career very early and was a minister in Kofi Abrefa Busia's Progress Party government during Ghana's Second Republic.
He also served as a Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya Constituency in the second and third Republics.
The Prempeh College graduate first declared his Presidential ambition when he contested Jerry John Rawlings in the 1996 presidential elections as flagbearer of the NPP.
Kufuor came back strongly in the 2000 elections, this time winning against the NDC’s John Evans Atta Mills.
He successfully secured a second term in 2004, again beating Mills to the Presidency, before being succeeded by the former in 2009.
Jerry John Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is probably the most enigmatic character in the history of modern Ghanaian politics.
He was the first President under the Fourth Republic, having agreed to return the country to democracy after ascending power through a coup.
Rawlings is the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which was an offshoot from the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
He democratically served for two terms, from 1992 to 2000, but overall he led the country for almost 20 years.
Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom
Business mogul Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom for so long served as the leader of the Convention People’s Party (NPP).
Despite never becoming President, he contested on the ticket of the party in CPP in the 2008 elections, before breaking away to form the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) ahead of the 2012 general elections.
His career in active politics began in 1997 when he became a member of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem District Assembly.
Despite failing in his bid to become MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem constituency in 2000, he was appointed as Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission under the Kufuor administration.
Dr. Nduom rose to become Minister for Energy and Minister for Public Sector Reform under the Kufuor government and, in 2004, finally entered Parliament as the MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Very little was known about Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on the political scene till he became the vice-presidential candidate of the NPP ahead of the 2008 elections.
The Tamale native used to work at the Emile Woolf College of Accountancy in London, England, as a lecturer in Monetary Economics, and International Finance.
He also worked at the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund in Washington as an economist.
Dr. Bawumia became an economist at the Bank of Ghana in 2000, rising from Senior Economist to Head of Department and then to the Governor of the Bank’s special assistant.
In 2006, he was appointed Deputy Governor of the Central Bank by President Kufuor. Two years later, he quit to become the running mate of Akufo-Addo for the 2008 elections.
Dr. Bawumia played an instrumental role in the NPP’s landslide victory in the 2016 presidential elections.
Alban Bagbin
Alban Bagbin is currently the longest-serving legislator in Ghana’s Parliament, having served from the first to the seventh parliaments of the Fourth Republic.
The Nadowli West MP is also currently the Second deputy speaker of Parliament, although he won’t contest in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
He was appointed Minister for Water Resources under the Mills administration and also became the Majority Leader of Parliament under Mahama’s tenure.
Bagbin also served as the Minister of Health, before being succeeded by Hanny-Sherry Ayittey in 2013.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is a politician cum urban planner. He currently serves as the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament.
His first foray into Parliament came in 1997, when he won the Suame Constituency seat. He has since retained the seat till date.
As one of the most experienced persons in Parliament, he has served in various roles including Chairperson for the Special Budget, House, and Business Committees and a member of Finance, Mines and Energy, Standing Orders, and Selection Committees.
Haruna Iddrisu
Haruna Iddrisu is currently the Minority Leader of Parliament and is the legislator for the Tamale South Constituency.
He was actively involved in student politics while in school and first became a Parliamentarian in 2004.
Mr. Iddrisu was President of the National Union of Ghana Students and, in 2002, became a member of the Ghana Bar Association.
He has also held some Ministerial positions, including Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and Minister for Communications.