Republic Day: President Mahama pushes Tuesday July 1 holiday to Friday

The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that while Republic Day falls on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the public holiday will instead be observed on Friday, July 4, 2025.

The announcement, made in a statement issued on Thursday, explained that the adjustment was authorized by President John Dramani Mahama through an Executive Instrument (E.I), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2021 (Act 601).

“The general public is hereby informed that Friday, 4th July 2025 has been declared a Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the statement said.

This directive follows Parliament’s approval of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed on Wednesday, June 25.

Under the new law, August 4, previously marked as Founders’ Day, has been scrapped from the list of national holidays.

In its place, September 21, the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has been restored as the official Founder's Day.

Presenting the amendment in Parliament, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak said the move was aimed at promoting unity among Ghanaians.

“We’ve taken out the 4th August as Founders’ Day because we believe, as a country, there is no national consensus around it and it has become a source of division among Ghanaians,” the minister stated.

He further noted:

“We have reinstated September 21 as Founder's Day, to honour Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of our nation and the one who led us to independence.”

Additionally, the amendment gives Republic Day, July 1, full public holiday status, marking Ghana’s transformation into a republic in 1960.