The Republic Day is a very monumental day in Ghana’s history celebrated annually every 1st of July in due recognition of Ghana’s establishment as a sovereign state thereby creating a Republic on 1st July, 1960.
The Republic Day in Ghana was celebrated as a public holiday till 2019 when the Public Holiday Ammendment Bill was passed in 2019 making it a commemorative holiday.
On July 1st 1960, three years after 6th March 1957, when the Ghanaian Anatomy gained independence from Britain, Ghana was declared a Republic after a constitutional referendum and general elections which transitioned Dr. Nkrumah from Prime Minister to President.
Republic Day has also been known as Senior Citizens’ Day which marks a day to celebrate the contributions of senior citizens in the development of Ghana.
Ghana has been under four Republics and is currently under the last office of President Nana Akufo-Addo in the fourth Republic after over 3 decades of uninterrupted Democratic Sovereignty.
Below are the list of Presidents who have ruled the Ghanaian Anatomy.
1ST REPUBLIC
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah – 1960 to 1966 (Convention People’s Party)
Gen. Joseph Arthur Ankrah 1966 – 1969 (National Liberation Council)
Gen. Akwasi Afrifa (National Liberation Council; April 1969 – August 1970)
2ND REPUBLIC
Dr. Abrefi Busia (Prime Minister; October 1969 – January 13th 1972; Progress Party)
Dr. Edward Akufo-Addo (Ceremonial President; 31st August 1970 – 13th January 1972)
Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (National Redemption Council and Supreme Military Council) (1972- 1978)
Fred Akuffo (Supreme Military Council; July 1978 – August 1979)
Flt. Lieut. Jerry Rawlings (Armed Forces Revolutionary Council) (June 4th 1979 – September 1979)
3RD REPUBLIC
Dr. Hilla Limann (24th September 1979 – 31st December 1981) (People’s National Party)
Flt. Lieut. Jerry Rawlings (Provisional National Defence Council) (31st December 1981 – 7th January 1994)
4TH REPUBLIC
Flt. Lieut. Jerry Rawlings (National Democratic Congress)
(7th January 1994 -7th January 2001)
John Agyekum Kuffuor (New Patriotic Party) (7th January 2001 – 7th January 2009)
John Atta Mills (National Democratic Congress) (7th January 2009 – 24th July 2012)
John Dramani Mahama (National Democratic Congress) (24th July 2012 – 7th January 2017)
Nana Akufo-Addo (New Patriotic Party) (7th January 2017 – 7th January 2025)
AFRICAN VOICES INTERNATIONAL, FREEDOM IN AFRICA
