Background
He was born on June 1912 at Warri in Nigeria to a Ghanaian Ewe father.
He was born on June 1912 at Warri in Nigeria to a Ghanaian Ewe father.
Educated at mission schools and Achimota College. Even while he was a science master at Accra Academy between 1939 and 1943 he was running businesses on the side.
When his friend Kwame Nkrumah returned from Britain in 1947, he was persuaded to enter politics, helping to found the Accra “Evening News” and becoming vice-chairman of the Convention People’s Party. Sentenced in 1949 to eight months’ imprisonment for libel and sedition, he was released just as Nkrumah himself was gaoled. He temporarily took over the CCP leadership and used his organising ability to ensure victory in the 1951 elections. He won the Keta seat and became Minister for Health and Labour, and in 1954, Minister for Finance. He stayed in the ministry until 1961 when he was demoted to the Ministry of Health.
Disillusioned with Nkrumah's authoritarianism and repressive rule, he finally spoke out in the National Assembly against a bill asking for a special division of the High Court to try offences against the state. Convinced he was a target for arrest, he slipped quietly abroad and lived overseas for five years, returning after the military coup of February 24, 1966.
He returned to private business and farming, emerging to fight the elections of August 1969 on the return to civilian rule. Small parties coalesced around his National Alliance of Liberals but it was badly defeated by Kofi Busia’s Progress Party by 105 scats to 29 seats, scarcely winning a single one outside his Ewe homeland, where he scored a personal victory. Later he was disqualified personally on a constitutional technicality, as a commission of enquiry had earlier made adverse findings against him. As a result he was not able to enter Parliament or lead the opposition. He returned to his chicken farm business.
The military government which took over in January 1972 made him a roving Ambassador responsible for the United States from March to June 28 when this appointment was rescinded.
Gbedemah formed and led the National Alliance of Liberals into the 1969 general election. His campaign slogan "Say it loud, I am black and proud!" was taken from the popular James Brown tune. After the election, Gbedemah was barred from taking his seat in parliament. This followed a Supreme Court ruling, upholding the NLC barring members of the CPP accused of financial crimes from holding public office for ten years. This decision led him to retire from active involvement in politics.