[5] Akufo-Addo was born on 26 June 1906 at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region to William Martin Addo-Danquah and Theodora Amuafi.

Akufo-Addo was called to the Middle Temple Bar, London, UK, in 1940[7] and returned to what was then the Gold Coast to start a private legal practice a year later in Accra.

[4] In 1947, he became a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and was one of the "Big Six" (the others being Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori Atta) detained after disturbances in Accra in 1948.

[4] From 31 August 1970 until his deposition by coup d'état on 13 January 1972, Akufo-Addo was President of Ghana in the Second Republic.

Real power rested with the prime minister, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia.