CPP and Democracy Hub Sue to Remove Kotoka’s Name from Accra International Airport
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) and civil society group Democracy Hub have taken legal action at Ghana’s Supreme Court, seeking the removal of Kotoka International Airport’s name.
According to a statement by Democracy Hub, this lawsuit is part of a larger movement to address historical injustices and reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to democratic governance.
“On this historic day, Democracy Hub, in collaboration with the CPP, has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court of Ghana seeking the removal of Kotoka’s name from Accra International Airport. This legal action challenges the glorification of unconstitutional rule and aligns with the 1992 Constitution’s firm rejection of coups d’état,” the statement dated Monday, February 24, 2025, reads.
The group argues that honoring Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup that ousted Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, contradicts the nation’s stance against military takeovers. They insist that Kotoka International Airport’s name serves as a state-sanctioned endorsement of illegality.
Call for Historical Correction
Democracy Hub emphasized that Kotoka International Airport was renamed under the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NLCD 339), which they claim legitimized an unconstitutional regime.
“The continued veneration of Lieutenant General Kotoka, the man whose actions helped overthrow Ghana’s 1960 Constitution and derail democratic progress, is an unacceptable contradiction. Ghana must stand firmly against unconstitutional rule—not just in rhetoric, but in practice,” the group stated.
This legal challenge coincides with the 59th anniversary of the February 24, 1966, coup, which ended Nkrumah’s presidency.
The Legacy of Kotoka and the Airport Renaming
Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka played a crucial role in the military overthrow of Nkrumah’s government. A member of the National Liberation Council, he was later killed in a failed counter-coup on April 17, 1967, at the Accra airport.
In 1969, the government renamed Kotoka International Airport in his honor, reflecting the political sentiments of the time. Critics of Nkrumah supported the coup, arguing that his rule had become increasingly authoritarian. However, opponents of the renaming argue that it glorifies a military takeover that disrupted Ghana’s democratic progress.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah originally transformed the airport from a British military base into a civilian facility, making its naming after Kotoka even more controversial.
With this legal action, the CPP and Democracy Hub hope to erase what they see as an endorsement of unconstitutional rule and restore Ghana’s commitment to democratic principles.
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SOURCE : DEW360.NET
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