Ghana renames Kotoka Airport, reigniting coup debate

Ghana has renamed its main international airport, dropping the name of a military officer linked to the 1966 overthrow of the country’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. This move has reignited old political and historical tensions.

Officials say Kotoka International Airport will revert to its earlier title, Accra International Airport, in what they describe as an effort to present a more neutral national identity. The decision has quickly divided public opinion, touching on questions of history, democracy and national recognition.

Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a senior army officer, was among those who helped topple Nkrumah’s government six decades ago. He was later killed at the same airport during an attempted counter-coup in 1967.

Two years later, the military administration renamed the facility in his honour, casting him as a figure who intervened against what it viewed as increasingly authoritarian rule.

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The current government says restoring the airport’s original name better reflects Ghana’s democratic trajectory and aligns with the identity of the capital.

Transport officials have framed the change as symbolic rather than operational, stressing that aviation safety, travel and airport services will remain unaffected.

But the decision has sparked resistance. Critics argue the move sidelines Kotoka’s role in Ghana’s history and dismisses the recognition he received for his service.

Political voices, including opposition figures, say it risks deepening regional grievances, noting that Kotoka’s legacy holds particular significance in parts of the country.

Others have questioned the timing, pointing to economic pressures such as unemployment and rising living costs as more urgent national priorities. Online, the debate has played out intensely, with Ghanaians split over whether the change corrects a historical contradiction or erases part of the country’s past.

Supporters of the renaming, including some civil society groups, contend that honouring a coup leader sits uneasily with Ghana’s democratic values and the constitutional order established after years of military rule.

The discussion has gathered momentum since President John Mahama returned to office following the 2024 elections.

The controversy also reopens wider historical debates about the circumstances surrounding Nkrumah’s removal from power. Scholars have long examined the international dimension of the coup, including alleged involvement by Western intelligence agencies during the Cold War.

Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence in 1957 and became a leading voice in the pan-African movement, was later criticised domestically for consolidating power.

His removal ushered in a period of political instability marked by repeated military takeovers until multiparty democracy was restored in 1992.

Today, Ghana is often cited as one of West Africa’s more stable democracies, with competitive elections and peaceful transfers of power.

The airport renaming debate shows, however, that the legacy of its turbulent past still shapes national conversations about identity, memory and the meaning of democracy.