Leader of the main opposition New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, turns 72 years today.

The celebrated international legal brain kicks off his day with a special radio broadcast on Kasapa 102.3 FM.

Born March 29, 1944, in Swalaba, Accra, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was raised in Accra, Ghana’s capital. His father’s residence in Accra was effectively the headquarters of the country’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), after it was formed at Saltpond on August 4, 1947. Three of the Big Six (founding fathers of Ghana) were Nana’s blood relatives: J.B Danquah (grand uncle), William Ofori Atta (uncle) and Edward Akufo-Addo, who became the third Chief Justice and later ceremonial President of the Republic from 1970-72, was his father.

Akufo-Addo had his primary education at the Government Boys School and later Rowe Road School both in Accra Central. Nana went on to England to study for his O- Level and A- Level examinations. He returned to Ghana in 1962 to teach at the Accra Academy before going to the University of Ghana in 1964 to read Economics.

After graduating as an economist, he went on to read law in the UK and was called to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in July 1971 and the Ghana Bar in 1975.

He is married to Rebecca, daughter of the Speaker of the Parliament of the Third Republic of Ghana, the late Mr. Justice J.H Griffiths-Randolph. They have five children, with five grandchildren, and are both devout Church-going Christians.