The government of Ghana has removed the name of a 1966 coup leader from its main international gateway, renaming Kotoka International Airport back to its original title, Accra International Airport, in a move that has triggered heated debate across the country.
The airport had been named after Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, one of the military officers who helped overthrow Ghana’s founding president, Kwame Nkrumah, in a coup exactly 60 years ago.
Announcing the decision, the Ministry of Transport said the government “considered it appropriate” to restore the airport’s earlier name.
Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe said the change was meant to reflect the national capital and present a more neutral image internationally.
“The change was aimed at projecting a neutral national image and reflecting the name of the capital city, Accra,” Nikpe was quoted as saying in local media.
Kotoka was among the officers who deposed Nkrumah in 1966. He was killed the following year at the airport during a failed counter-coup attempt. Two years later, the military government renamed the facility after him, portraying him as a “liberator” from what they considered Nkrumah’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
However, critics have long argued that honouring a coup leader contradicts Ghana’s democratic values.
Some civil society groups supporting the name change said honouring Kotoka “fundamentally contradicted the country’s democratic values and glorified an unconstitutional change of government.”
The debate has intensified under President John Mahama, who returned to power following the December 2024 election.
Opposition figures and members of Kotoka’s family have criticised the decision, saying it erases his legacy and service to the country.
Among those opposing the move is the minority leader in parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who described the decision as a betrayal of the Volta Region, Kotoka’s home region.
He argued that the airport’s name had been one of the few national honours recognising the eastern region.
The controversy has also sparked wider public discussion, with Ghanaians divided on social media over the political, legal and historical implications of the change. Some critics questioned the cost of rebranding the airport and asked why the government was not prioritising pressing issues such as unemployment and living conditions.
Despite the debate, the transport ministry urged the public and international partners to support the transition.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry called on stakeholders to cooperate with relevant authorities to ensure what it described as a “smooth and seamless transition”.
Authorities also reassured travellers that the change would not affect airport operations, safety standards or international travel.
The controversy has revived debate about Ghana’s political history. In the years leading up to the 1966 coup, Nkrumah faced mounting criticism from opponents who accused him of becoming increasingly oppressive.
Historians have also long debated the role played by Western powers, particularly the Central Intelligence Agency, in the removal of Ghana’s first president.
Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence in 1957, remains widely regarded as a visionary figure in the pan-African liberation movement.
After his overthrow, Ghana experienced several military coups before returning to multiparty democracy in 1992. Since then, the country has held a series of closely contested elections and maintained a record of peaceful transfers of power.
Boluwatife Enome
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