Mr Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Leader of the National Patriotic Party (NPP)

Date of Birth: 29/03/1944
Place of Birth: Swalaba, Ghana

Married to Rebecca Akufo-Addo (nee Griffiths-Randolph), has five children.

Education: Lancing College, Sussex, United Kingdom; BSc Economics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, 1967; called to the English Bar, Middle Temple, 1971; called to Ghanaian Bar, 1975.

Career: Associate Council, Coudert Frères, France, 1971-75; Senior Partner and co-founder, Akufo-Addo Prempeh & Co; General Secretary, People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice, 1977-78; Chairperson, DHL, Ghana, 1984-2001; Vice-President, Greater Accra Regional Branch, Ghana Association, 1991-96; Founder and Chairperson, Ghana Committee on Human and People’s Rights;  Chairperson, Kinsenic Communications Co. Ltd, 1991-2001; New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate, Abuakwa Consituency, 1992, 1996, 2000; Member of Parliament, NPP Abuakwa Constituency, 1997-2001, 2001-05, 2005-09 (South Abuakwa); Chairperson, Parliament Select Committee on Subsidiary Legislation, 1997-2001; Attorney General, 2001-03; Chairperson, Legal Service Board, 2001-03; Minister for Foreign Affairs, 2003-07; President, United Nations Security Council, 2006; Chairperson, African Union Executive Council, 2007.

Commentary: Nana Akufo-Addo was defeated in Ghana's 2008 presidential elections. Although he received the highest number of votes in the first round of voting, he failed to win a majority, forcing the election to go to a second round runoff between himself and John Evans Atta Mills.

In August 2010, Akufo-Addo won the bid to be his party's flag-bearer and is running for president in the 7 December 2012 elections.

Akufo-Addo has chaired numerous NPP committees and is an honorary fellow of the University of Ghana. He is the son of Edward Akufo-Addo, a former President and Chief Justice of Ghana.