The Convention People’s Party (CPP), in partnership with social advocacy group Democracy Hub, has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court of Ghana, seeking the removal of Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka’s name from the country’s international airport.

The two groups argue that it is contradictory for a nation committed to democratic values to maintain the name of a figure associated with Ghana’s first military coup in 1966.

“For 59 years, Ghana has lived with the contradiction of denouncing coups while honouring one of the architects of the first military overthrow of an elected government,” their statement read.

The legal challenge contends that naming the airport under the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NLCD 339), effectively legitimizes unconstitutional governance. They assert that renaming the airport would reflect Ghana’s commitment to democratic principles.

“It is time for Ghana to make a clear statement that it stands against unconstitutional rule, not just in rhetoric but in practice,” the statement emphasized.

The lawsuit, backed by legal experts from Merton & Everett LLP, is said to be grounded in comprehensive legal and historical research.

Democracy Hub is rallying support from civil society groups, youth activists, and democracy advocates, framing the case as more than a legal battle but “a national reckoning with our past.”

Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, born on 26 September 1926, was a key figure in the National Liberation Council, which overthrew Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in the February 24, 1966 coup d’état.