Vice President of Ghana

Vice President of the Republic of Ghana
Incumbent Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang since 7 January 2025
Style	His/Her Excellency
Residence	Golden Jubilee House
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Joseph W.S. deGraft-Johnson Republic established Kow Nkensen Arkaah Current Constitution
Formation	Republic Day 1 July 1960 1992 Constitution 15 May 1992
Salary	unknown
Website	(in English) Presidency.gov.gh (in English) Ghana.gov.gh

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 in 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 Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who took office on 7 January 2025, under President John Mahama. She is the first female vice president in Ghana's history.

Eligibility

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

• (a) a citizen of Ghana by birth
• (b) attained the age of thirty-five years or above
• (c) be 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.

The president and vice president are elected on a single ticket; all presidential candidates must lodge the name of their running mate when filing for election.

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. This provision has been used once, when John Mahama ascended to the presidency after the death of the President, John Atta Mills, in July 2012. He was elected president in his own right that December, and was allowed to run for reelection in 2016 since he had ascended with only six months remaining in Mills' term.

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
• The Police Service Council
• The Prisons Service Council

List of vice-presidents

Further information: List of Vice-Presidents of Ghana

Under the Constitution of 1960, the first constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the president replaced the monarch as executive head of state. The president was elected by Parliament for a 5-year term. In the event of a vacancy three members of the Cabinet served jointly as acting president.,

#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Political party
1		Joseph Richard Asiedu	July 1960	June 1965
2		Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta	June 1965	February 1966
—		Nii Amaa Ollennu	24 February 1966	24 February 1966
3		National Liberation Council	24 February 1966	1 October 1969	Military
4		Joseph Arthur Ankrah	1 October 1969	1 October 1969	Independent
5		John Willie Kofi Harlley	1 October 1969	1 October 1969	Independent
6		Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa (1936–1979) Chairman of the Presidential Commission	3 September 1969	7 August 1970	Military
7		Nii Amaa Ollennu (1906–1986)	7 August 1970	31 August 1970	Independent
8		Edward Akufo-Addo (1906–1979)	31 August 1970	13 January 1972 (Deposed in a coup)	Independent
9		Fred Akuffo	13 January 1972	5 July 1978 (Deposed in a coup)	Military
		Chairman of the SMC from 9 October 1975
10		Joshua Hamidu	5 July 1978	4 June 1979 (Deposed in a coup)
11		Kojo Boakye-Djan Chairman of the AFRC	4 June 1979	24 September 1979
12		Joseph W.S. de Graft-Johnson (1933–1999)	24 September 1979	31 December 1981 (Deposed)	People's National Party
13		Provisional National Defence Council	31 December 1981	31 December 1981	Military
14		Joseph Nunoo-Mensah	31 December 1981	25 August 1983
15		Arnold Quainoo	25 August 1983	22 September 1989
16		Winston Mensa-Wood	22 September 1989	4 June 1990
17		Harry Dumashie	4 June 1990	7 January 1993
18		Daniel Francis Annan	7 January 1993	7 January 1993
19		Kow Nkensen Arkaah (1927–2001)	7 January 1993	7 January 1997	National Convention Party
20		John Atta Mills (1944–2012)	7 January 1997	7 January 2001	National Democratic Congress
21		Aliu Mahama (1946–2012)	7 January 2001	7 January 2009	New Patriotic Party
22		John Mahama (born 1958)	7 January 2009	24 July 2012	National Democratic Congress
23		Kwesi Amissah-Arthur (1951–2018)	6 August 2012	7 January 2017	National Democratic Congress
24		Mahamudu Bawumia (born 1963)	7 January 2017	7 January 2025	New Patriotic Party
25		Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang (born 1951)	7 January 2025	Incumbent	National Democratic Congress

See also

• Chief of Staff (Ghana)
• List of governors of the Gold Coast
• Lists of office-holders
• President of Ghana
• Prime Minister of Ghana