On March 29, not only is President Bola Tinubu blowing out birthday candles, but across the border, Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, is also celebrating his special day.
It’s a moment of shared joy between the two neighboring countries, despite their occasional disagreements over things like jollof rice, music, and football.
While Nigerians honor Tinubu, Ghanaians are extending warm wishes to their leader.
Both presidents hail from influential backgrounds.
Tinubu, aged 72, was born in Lagos into the merchant family of Abibatu Mogaji, who held the esteemed position of Iyaloja of Lagos.
Akufo-Addo, 80, was born in Swalaba, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, on March 29, 1944, to a well-known Ghanaian royal and political family as the son of Adeline and Edward Akufo-Addo.
In terms of education, Akufo-Addo studied Law in the UK and was admitted to the bar in England (Middle Temple) in 1971 and in Ghana in 1975.
According to transcripts, Tinubu studied at Southwest College (now Richard J. Daley College) in Chicago before transferring to Chicago State University. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with Honours on June 22, 1979, focusing on Accounting.
Tinubu secured the Lagos West senate seat in 1992 as a member of the Social Democratic Party. Later on, he got involved with the National Democratic Coalition, a pro-democracy group. After being imprisoned for his pro-democracy activities, he escaped into exile in 1994.
He returned to Nigeria in 1998.
In 1999, Tinubu, now a member of the Alliance for Democracy party, was elected as the governor of Lagos state. He was then reelected in 2003.
He played a significant role in forming a new political party, the All Progressives Congress.
During the 2023 general elections, he emerged victorious over Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democracy Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, considered the front-runners.
Tinubu officially began his presidency 10 months ago on May 29, 2023.
On the other hand, Akufo-Addo, a lawyer and politician, assumed office as the president of Ghana in January 2017.
Joining the New Patriotic Party in 1992, he served as a member of Parliament for three consecutive terms (1996–2008). During President John Kufuor’s tenure, Akufo-Addo held the positions of Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 2001 to 2003, and later served as the foreign minister until 2007. He resigned from this position to vie for the NPP’s flag bearer in the 2008 presidential election.
In the 2008 Ghanaian presidential election, Akufo-Addo won the first round but narrowly missed victory in the second round to John Evans Atta Mills.
In 2012, he represented the NPP in the election against John Mahama, ultimately losing to Mahama despite contesting the results, which were upheld by the Supreme Court.
Akufo-Addo contested for the presidency again in 2016 and emerged victorious, assuming office on January 7, 2017.
His second term commenced on January 7, 2021, following his re-election in the December 2020 presidential election.
Currently, both presidents are facing critical phases in their administrations. Nigeria grapples with significant economic challenges and an alarming rise in kidnapping incidences, while Akufo-Addo contends with a contentious anti-LGBTQ bill.