Vice President of Ghana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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	Presidency.gov.gh Ghana.gov.gh

The Vice President of Ghana is the second most important leader in the Government of Ghana. The vice president, along with the President of Ghana, is chosen directly by the people through a vote. They serve for four years. The vice president is the first person who takes over if the president cannot do their job anymore. This could happen if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office. The current Vice President is Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. She started her term on January 7, 2025, working with President John Mahama. She is the first woman to be Vice President in Ghana's history.

Who Can Be Vice President?

To become Vice President of Ghana, a person must meet certain requirements from the 1992 Constitution. These rules are similar to those for the President.

• They must be a citizen of Ghana from birth.
• They must be at least 35 years old.
• They must also be able to be elected as a Member of Parliament. However, some specific reasons that might stop someone from being a Member of Parliament do not apply here.

The President and Vice President are elected together as a team. When someone wants to run for President, they must also name their running mate (the person who will be Vice President) at the same time.

If the President dies, resigns, or can no longer do their job, the Vice President automatically becomes President for the rest of that term. If a Vice President becomes President before half of the term is over, they can only run for one more full term. But if more than half of the term has passed, they can run for two more terms. This rule was used when John Mahama became President after President John Atta Mills passed away in July 2012. He was then elected President in his own right in the 2012 Ghanaian general election. He was allowed to run again in 2016 Ghanaian general election because he had taken over with only six months left in the previous term.

Taking the Oath of Office

Before starting their job, the Vice President of Ghana must take an oath. The Chief Justice of Ghana leads this ceremony in front of the people of Ghana at Independence Square in Accra.

The Vice President-elect says these words:

"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)."

What Does the Vice President Do?

The Vice President of Ghana has several important duties:

• They lead various meetings when the President is not there.
• They act as President when the President is out of the country.

The Vice President is also a member of important groups, including:

• The National Security Council
• The Armed Forces Council
• The Police Service Council
• The Prisons Service Council

Past Vice Presidents of Ghana (1979–Present)

Here is a list of the people who have served as Vice President of Ghana since 1979:

No.	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	Time in Office			Political Party	President
			Started	Ended	Length of Time
1		Joseph W.S. de Graft-Johnson (1933–1999)	24 September 1979	31 December 1981 (Removed from office)	2 years, 98 days	People's National Party	Hilla Limann
2		Kow Nkensen Arkaah (1927–2001)	7 January 1993	7 January 1997	4 years	National Convention Party	Jerry Rawlings
3		John Atta Mills (1944–2012)	7 January 1997	7 January 2001	4 years	National Democratic Congress
4		Aliu Mahama (1946–2012)	7 January 2001	7 January 2009	8 years	New Patriotic Party	John Kufuor
5		John Mahama (born 1958)	7 January 2009	24 July 2012	3 years, 199 days	National Democratic Congress	John Atta Mills
6		Kwesi Amissah-Arthur (1951–2018)	6 August 2012	7 January 2017	4 years, 154 days	National Democratic Congress	John Mahama
7		Mahamudu Bawumia (born 1963)	7 January 2017	7 January 2025	8 years	New Patriotic Party	Nana Akufo-Addo
8		Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang (born 1951)	7 January 2025	Incumbent	234 days	National Democratic Congress	John Mahama

Background of Vice Presidents

This table shows the ethnic and religious backgrounds of Ghana's Vice Presidents.

See also

In Spanish: Vicepresidente de Ghana para niños