Claim: Daily Graphic has deliberately removed Akufo-Addo’s image from list of presidents

Source: Social media

Verdict: False 

Researched by Alfa Shaban

The state-run Daily Graphic newspaper has been accused on social media platforms of refusing to acknowledge Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a former president in the 68th Independence Day edition of the newspaper published on March 6, 2025.

A photo of the newspaper’s center spread has gone viral on social media platforms with captions such as “the erasure is insane,” “Fantastic.. Saving it for the future,” “Where is Akufo Addo? Something is wrong here. Daily Graphic must answer!”


But how true are the claims?

Fact-Check

GhanaFact investigated the claims and found the following facts:

a. The paper in its center spread (pages 16 & 17) published an in-depth report titled “Ghana@68 – Hard road to independence, democratic rule; still seeking economic, final liberation.”

The piece was accompanied by photos of all political leaders Ghana has had since 1957 – democratically elected presidents and military rulers alike.

Across the top of the spread were pictures of Kwame Nkrumah, General Ankrah, Edward Akufo-Addo, Kofi Abrefa Buria, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, FWK Akuffo, Jerry John Rawlings and Hilla Limann (leaders spanning the first to third republics).

At the bottom of page 17, they had photos of the Fourth Republican presidents including Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills and John Mahama.

b. Jerry John Rawlings’ image appears twice to depict his two stints in charge (June 4 – September 24, 1979 (112 days) and 1981 – 2001).

c. In the case of John Mahama, like Rawlings, he has served as president twice – in 2012 following the death of his boss John Atta Mills and since January 2025 after winning the 2024 elections.

It is worth noting that the piece did not end on page 17 and there is a note that reads at the end “Continued on page SS23.” 

d. On the said page, there is the photo of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, followed by that of John Mahama, completing the sequence in which the Fourth Republican presidents have served.

Verdict

From the above, the claim that President Akufo-Addo has been erased from the list of presidents by the Daily Graphic is False.