Haruna Iddrisu

Early life and education

Haruna Iddrisu was born in 1970 at Tamale, Ghana.He started his early education at Kulikuli school. Iddrisu studied at the University of Ghana between 1993 and 1997 where he obtained B.A. (Hons) in Sociology. He was active in student politics and was the President of the National Union of Ghana Students during his final year. Iddrisu is also a barrister and has been a member of the Ghana Bar Association since 2002.

Political career

After being a student leader for years in his tertiary education, Iddrisu transitioned into mainstream national politics and rose to become the National Youth Organizer for the National Democratic Congress in 2002. He held that position for 8 years even whilst serving as Minister of Communications in the Atta Mills Government. Iddrisu stepped down from the position in 2010.

As a Member of Parliament

He stood for MP in the 2004 parliamentary election in the then newly formed Tamale South constituency. Iddrisu served as the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications and also the Minority Spokesman on Communications in the Fourth Parliament when the National Democratic Congress, his party was in opposition.

He retained his seat in the 2008 parliamentary election by gaining 78.2% of the total votes cast. He again retained his seat in the 2012 parliamentary elections by getting 74.6% of the total votes cast.

Even though his party lost the Presidential Elections, Haruna retained his seat in the 2016 Elections and was selected to lead the minority caucus as the Minority Leader of the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic in Ghana.

In January 2020, Haruna Iddrisu donated a CHPS compound to the Duunyin community in the Northern region of Ghana to provide healthcare services to the indigents of the community. During the elections that year, Even though, Iddrisu's party, the NDC, failed to recapture power from the NPP, he retained the Tamale South Constituency seat after winning by a landslide.

In January 2023, Haruna's reign as Minority Leader came to an end after the minority NDC changed its leadership in parliament, replacing Haruna with Ato Forson.

In May 2023, Haruna ran unopposed for the NDC Parliamentary primaries and won. In the history of Ghana's politics, he is the only incumbent MP to run for primaries unopposed for 4 consecutive times.

He subsequently won the 2024 Ghanaian general election sixth time as the member of parliament for Tamale South (Ghana parliament constituency) on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana).

As Minister of State

He has held various positions in government, including Minister for Communications under the Mills and Mahama governments as well as Minister for Trade between 2013 and 2014. He was appointed the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations by President Mahama in July 2014. He was appointed minister for Education in January 2025 in John Mahama's second term as president. And in the same January 2025, the parliament of Ghana led by the deputy speaker confirmed his approval as the Minister for Education. He was sworn in with the other five ministers of state by President Mahama.

Personal life

He is a married Muslim, has 3 children, and hails from the Northern Region of Ghana.

Football

Haruna Iddrisu is a football enthusiast. He plays the game on weekends and holidays in his native town, Tamale. Iddrisu also owns the Ghana Premier League club, Karela United, and Division One side, Steadfast FC, a club that produced Leicester City's winger, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku. The English Premier League outfit reportedly paid 17 million Euros to secure Issahaku's services from Sporting CP. Haruna Iddrisu and his Steadfast Football Club earned 7.9 million Euros from the deal.

As a philanthropist

References

References

1. (2025-01-22). "Mahama swears in Ato Forson, Haruna Iddrisu, four other Ministers".
2. (2020-05-11). "We haven't received any PPEs from government – EC tells Haruna Iddrisu".
3. (2023-01-25). "10 things you didn't know about new Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson".
4. (18 May 2021). "SIM cards re-registration comment by Bawumia ill-informed, highly naive – Minority Leader – MyJoyOnline.com".
5. (28 May 2021). "Galamsey fight: Akufo-Addo's endorsement of burning excavators a breach of law – Haruna Iddrisu – MyJoyOnline.com".
6. Online, Peace FM. "Speaker Not An MP, For What Reason Will Gov't Gag Him? - Egyapa Mercer Quizzes".
7. (2023-01-24). "Ato Forson replaces Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader".
8. (2023-01-30). "A/R: Dagombas angry over removal of Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka from Minority Caucus".
9. "Hon. Iddrisu Haruna". [[Parliament of Ghana]].
10. "Hon Haruna Iddrisu – Minister for Communications". [[Government of Ghana]].
11. (2020-07-26). "Don't leave out any Ghanaian stranded abroad – Haruna Iddrisu to government".
12. "Haruna Iddrisu, Biography".
13. (2009-10-14). "Haruna Iddrisu to step down as NDC Youth Organiser".
14. "Parliamentary Results Tamale South (Northern Region)". Ghana Home Page.
15. "ITU Council 2009 – Biography of Haruna Iddrisu, Chairman of Council 2009, Ghana's Minister of Communications".
16. "Parliamentary Results Tamale-South (Northern Region)". Ghana Home Page.
17. "Parliamentary Results – Tamale SouthConstituency".
18. (5 January 2017). "Haruna Iddrisu named Minority Leader".
19. (2020-01-07). "N/R: Haruna Iddrisu commissions health facility at Duunyin".
20. admin. (2020-12-09). "Haruna Iddrisu retains Tamale South seat".
21. (2020-12-08). "Election 2020: Haruna Iddrisu retains Tamale South".
22. Awal, Mohammed. (2023-01-24). "NDC reshuffles Parliamentary leadership; Ato Forson replaces Haruna as Minority leader".
23. Frimpong, Enoch Darfah. (2023-01-24). "Ato Forson replaces Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader in Parliament".
24. GTonline. (2023-01-25). "Minority reshuffles front bench: • Dr Ato Forson replaces Haruna Iddrisu •Agbodza takes over from Muntaka".
25. GTonline. (2023-05-15). "NDC parliamentary primaries: Winners, losers nationwide".
26. (2023-04-03). "Haruna Iddrisu confident of victory after subjecting himself to vetting by the NDC - MyJoyOnline.com".
27. Online, Peace FM. "Tamale South Constituency Parliament Results - Ghana 2024 Election Results".
28. "ITU Council 2009 - Biography of Haruna Iddrisu, Chairman of Council 2009, Ghana's Minister of Communications".
29. (16 July 2014). "Ministerial reshuffle: Spio rejoins gov't".
30. (22 January 2025). "Mr.". Multimedia Group.
31. (2025-01-21). "Haruna Iddrisu, Kwame Agbodza, Eric Opoku approved as ministers".
32. (2022-09-05). "Haruna Iddrisu's football club reported to GFA for alleged contract breach - MyJoyOnline".
33. "Haruna Iddrisu's Steadfast FC earn €7.9 million from Issahaku's permanent move to Leicester City".