Rt. Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho is the Chairman of the Ninth Council of State and the former Speaker of the Sixth Parliament of the Republic of Ghana. He is a consummate lawyer and politician.
He has devoted nearly four decades to public service, holding a wide range of leadership positions across Ghana’s legal and political institutions. His distinguished career includes service as a State Attorney, a member and chairperson of various public boards and commissions, a long-standing Member of Parliament, a member of the Pan-African Parliament, the First Deputy Speaker of the Fifth Parliament, and subsequently, the Speaker of the Sixth Parliament of Ghana.
Rt. Hon. Adjaho began his career in the Attorney-General’s Department as a State Attorney. During his tenure, he was seconded to the Office of the Special Prosecutor as Assistant Special Prosecutor for the then Brong Ahafo Region. He later served at the Office of the PNDC Coordinator for Revenue Commissioners, Investigations and Tribunals, as Legal Officer and subsequently Deputy Coordinator.
In 1992, he resigned from the Legal Service of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department to contest the Parliamentary elections on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the then Avenor-Ave Constituency, now split into Akatsi South and Akatsi North. He won six consecutive parliamentary elections and served five terms as Member of Parliament. Following his re-election for a sixth term, in 2013 he relinquished his seat upon his election as the first sitting MP to become Speaker of Parliament, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
A seasoned and accomplished parliamentarian, Rt. Hon. Adjaho held several key leadership roles in the House, including Majority Chief Whip (1997–2001), Minority Chief Whip (2001–2005), Deputy Minority Leader (2005–2009), and First Deputy Speaker (2009–2013). Rt. Hon. Adjaho was, by Private Members Motion, adjudged the best parliamentarian by the Rt. Hon. Speaker Peter Ala Adjetey (Speaker of Parliament of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 6 January 2005). He also served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament from 2006 to 2013.
As Speaker of Parliament, he was elected Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (African Region). Under his leadership, Ghana hosted this regional conference for the first time. He also established the Parliamentary Institute during his tenure as Speaker. Further, he was a founding member of the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), based in Ottawa, Canada. He was the first Chairman of the Ghana Chapter of the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC).
Rt. Hon. Adjaho has also chaired several governing bodies, including the Board of Directors of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) (2009–2013), the Parliamentary Service Board (2013–2017), and the Presidential Transition Advisory Council (2016–2017). Additionally, he served as a member of the National Media Commission (1996–2000) and the Presidential Transition Advisory Council (2024–2025).
While in opposition, he established a private law firm to mentor young lawyers.
In recognition of his lifelong commitment to public service and good governance, he was awarded the state honour of Companion of the Order of the Volta. The University of Professional Studies, Accra, also conferred on him an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD).