Nkrumah’s Party, Activists Sue to Remove Emmanuel Kotoka’s Name from Accra Airport

Social activist group Democracy Hub and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) have filed a lawsuit at Ghana’s Supreme Court to remove “Kotoka” from the nation’s international airport. The case was filed on Monday, 24 February, 59 years after the coup that overthrew President Kwame Nkrumah.

In a press statement signed by the Democracy Hub, the activists argue that keeping the name glorifies a military takeover. They say it contradicts Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which opposes coups and promotes democracy. The airport was initially called Accra International Airport. It was renamed in 1969 to honour Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, one of the leaders of the 1966 coup.

This legal action is part of a broader effort to correct a historical injustice, challenge the glorification of unconstitutional rule, and reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to democratic governance.

The 1992 Constitution of Ghana firmly rejects coups d’état, making it a duty of every citizen to defend democracy against military interventions. However, for 59 years, Ghana has lived with the contradiction of denouncing coups d’état while continuing to honour one of the architects of the first military overthrow of an elected government, the statement read.

Democracy Hub and CPP believe this sends the wrong message. They have urged Ghanaians not to celebrate a figure linked to an unconstitutional change of government.

The continued veneration of Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, the man whose actions helped overthrow Ghana’s 1960 Constitution and derail the country’s democratic progress, is an unacceptable contradiction, the group warns.

The statement added that naming Kotoka International Airport amounted to a state-approved endorsement of an illegal regime change. It also stressed that Ghana needed to take a clear stand against unconstitutional rule, not just in words but in action. Democracy Hub calls on all Ghanaians, civil society organisations, youth activists, and defenders of democracy to support this legal challenge.

Kotoka was a military officer born on 26 September 1926. He was part of the National Liberation Council, which ruled Ghana after removing Nkrumah. However, he was later killed in 1967 during an attempted counter-coup.

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