John Kufuor
John Kufuor | |
|---|---|
Kufuor in 2008 | |
| 10th President of Ghana | |
| In office 7 January 2001 – 7 January 2009 | |
| Vice President | Aliu Mahama |
| Preceded by | Jerry Rawlings |
| Succeeded by | John Atta Mills |
| 5th Chairperson of the African Union | |
| In office 30 January 2007 – 31 January 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Denis Sassou Nguesso |
| Succeeded by | Jakaya Kikwete |
| Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya | |
| In office 24 September 1979 – 31 December 1981 | |
| In office 1 October 1969 – 13 January 1972 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor 8 December 1938 Kumasi, Colony of the Gold Coast |
| Political party | New Patriotic Party |
| Spouse | |
| Relations |
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| Children | 5, including John Addo |
| Alma mater | Osei Tutu Boarding School Prempeh College Lincoln's Inn Exeter College, Oxford |
| Profession |
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John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the tenth president of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. He was the fifth chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008 and his victory over John Atta Mills at the end of Jerry Rawlings' second term marked the first transition of power in Ghana from a democratic party to another democratic party.
Kufuor's career has been spent on the liberal-democratic side of Ghanaian politics, in the parties descended from the United Gold Coast Convention and the United Party. As a lawyer and businessman, he was a minister in Kofi Abrefa Busia's Progress Party government during Ghana's Second Republic, and a Popular Front Party opposition frontbencher during the Third Republic. In the Fourth Republic, Kufuor stood as the New Patriotic Party's candidate at the 1996 election, and then led it to victory in 2000 and 2004. Having served two terms in power, he retired from politics in 2008. He is popularly known as the Gentle Giant.