A lawsuit has been filed at Ghana’s Supreme Court by social activist group Democracy Hub and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) to remove the name “Kotoka” from Ghana’s main international airport.
The plaintiffs argue that naming the airport after Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka contradicts Ghana’s democratic values, given his role in the country’s first coup d’état in 1966, which overthrew the government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
“For nearly six decades, Ghana has condemned military takeovers while still honoring one of the key figures behind its first coup,” the group stated.
Democracy Hub and the CPP contend that the General Kotoka Trust Decree of 1969 (NLCD 339), which formalized the naming of the airport, represents a state-backed endorsement of unconstitutional rule. They believe that removing the name would reinforce Ghana’s commitment to democracy.
The case, backed by legal experts from Merton & Everett LLP, follows in-depth legal and historical research. Democracy Hub is urging civil society groups, youth activists, and democracy advocates to support the initiative, calling it a crucial step in Ghana’s democratic journey.
Lieutenant-General Kotoka, born on September 26, 1926, and assassinated on April 17, 1967, was a military officer who served on the ruling National Liberation Council following the 1966 coup.
