The Statesman

The Statesman, founded in 1949 is said to be Ghana’s oldest mainstream newspapers. The newspaper is widely perceived to be affiliated to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), as its founder was Edward Akufo-Addo, and its former CEO was Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, current Ghanaian President from NPP.

The Statesman has, according to GeoPoll, a mobile survey platform (Jan – March 2017), an audience share of 0.68% and is read by an average readership of 42,000.

Its content is mainly politics while business, education, entertainment and sports get fair coverage space as well. Its readership profile, like most of the other newspapers with high level political concentration, include politicians, policy makers, academics and researchers.

The Statesman is published by GAB Productions Limited with Asare Otchere Darko, Nana Adjoa Otchere Darko and ED Gerber as the shareholders of the company, based on the official company profile at the Registrar General's Department. Asare Otchere Darko, the majority shareowner (60% shares) is a known member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a relative of the current President Akuffo Addo.

The Statesman history resembles the story of this country's struggle for freedom. It was founded in 1949, by the late Edward Akuffo Addo who was one of the pioneers who led the fight for Ghana's independence from the British. The Statesman then was shut down under the First Republic, revived after the 1966 coup, and again shut under the military rule of Kutu Acheampong in 1972.

It was not until 1992, when Edward’s son Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo re-established the paper, as the country prepared to return to a multi-party democracy. With Nana Akufo-Addo being the campaign manager of the presidential candidate for the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party, The Statesman became naturally the mouthpiece of the NPP.