Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician, son of the late Edward Akuffo former chief justice and President of the republic of Ghana and a member of the famous Big Six. He attended Achimota secondary school and later went to Lancing College, Sussex, England and the University of Ghana, Legon graduating in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Economics degree.

He is married to Rebecca (Nee Griffiths-Randolph) with five children; speaks Twi, Ga, English, and French.

As a lawyer, he was called to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in July 1971 and to the Ghanaian Bar in July 1975. He became associate counsel, Coudert Freres (Brothers), a major US law firm, at its Paris office in France from 1971-1975 and a junior member of the chambers of U.V. Campbell from 1975-1979. Nana Addo became senior partner and co-founder with Dr. Edmund Prempeh of a prominent law firm, Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. in 1979.

Nana Addo could best be described as a naturally born politician; he’s held numerous positions and played various active rolls in the political struggle in Ghana. From 1977-78, he was General Secretary of the People's Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ), and became Vice President of the Greater Accra Regional Branch of Ghana Bar Association from 1989-91; and President of the Greater Accra Regional Branch of Ghana Bar Association from 1991-96.

He was Member, General Legal Council (1991-96); Member, Legal Committee of Ghana Bar Association (1991-96); Member, General Council of Ghana Bar Association (1991-96).

Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo founded and subsequently became first Chairperson of the Ghana Committee on Human and Peoples Rights.

He was one of the founding members of the centrist New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 1992, and NPP parliamentary candidate for Abuakwa constituency in 1992, 1996 and 2000.

He was Chairperson, NPP Internal Affairs Committee in 1996; Chairperson, NPP Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee (1996-2000); Secretary, NPP Political Committee (1992-96); Secretary, 1996 NPP Policy Advisory Committee.

Nana Akufo-Addo was elected NPP Member of Parliament for Abuakwa constituency from 1997-2001 and 2001-2005; and after the split of the constituency to Abuakwa north and south, he was elect Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South constituency from 2005-2009.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was Chairperson, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Subsidiary Legislation (1997-2001); Ranking Minority Member on Parliament's Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (1997-2001); Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (1997-2001); Spokesperson of the Alliance for Change (AFC), a political pressure group broad based (1995-96); Chairperson, DHL (Ghana) Ltd (1984-2001); Chairperson, Kinesic Communications Co. Ltd, publisher of the independent newspapers, "The Statesman" and "The Weekend Statesman" (1991-2001).

In 2001 when the NPP came to power Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was appointed the first Attorney General and Minister for Justice (2001-2003) and became a Member, Judicial Council (2001-2003); Member, General Legal Council (2001-2003); Member, Board of Legal Education (2001-2003); Chairperson, legal Service Board (2001-2003); Member, Ghana Investors Advisory Council (2001-2003); Member, Ghana Aids Commission (2001-2003).

President Kufuor appointed Nana Akufo-Addo Minister for Foreign Affairs from April 2003 to July 2007, when, in accordance with his political party's rules, resigned along with seven others, to seek the presidential nomination of the party.

On December 23, 2007, Akufo-Addo was elected as the NPP's 2008 presidential candidate at a party congress with 47.96% of valid votes (1,096 votes) short of the required 50% but was acclaimed the victor after the second-placed candidate, John Alan Kojo Kyeremanteng, conceded defeat and backed Akufo-Addo.

In the 2008 presidential election, Akufo-Addo received the highest number of votes in the first round of voting failed to obtain the required 50+1%, pushing the election into a second round runoff between him and National Democratic Congress candidate John Evans Atta Mills who eventually won with 50.23% as against Akufo-Addo’s 49.77% vote.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2011 won convincingly the mandate of the New Patriotic Party members to again contest in the presidential elections slated for December 2012.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is Honorary Fellow, Legon Hall, University of Ghana.

UPDATE: Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo is currently contesting the results of the 2012 elections which installed his rival John Dramani Mahama as president. The case is now being heard by the Supreme Court.