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The lead convenor of the Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has defended the group’s legal action seeking the removal of the name “Kotoka” from Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The lawsuit, filed in collaboration with the Convention People’s Party (CPP) on Monday, February 24, 2025, challenges the continued use of the name, arguing that it contradicts Ghana’s democratic values.
The plaintiffs contend that naming the country’s main international airport after Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka—a key figure in the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah—constitutes state endorsement of unconstitutional actions.
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Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Tuesday, February 25, Barker-Vormawor justified the lawsuit, asserting that the issue is not about erasing history but ensuring that national symbols reflect Ghana’s democratic principles.
“The question of revisionism is misplaced. History is shaped by both naming and renaming,” he stated. “Just as Mumbai was once Bombay, renaming is part of historical evolution. Keeping the name ‘Kotoka’ on the airport does not honour history; it validates his role in the 1966 coup. Under the 1992 Constitution, we do not believe there is a justification for this.”
He further argued that the debate should focus on whether maintaining the name valorises a coup d’état, which, according to Ghana’s Supreme Court, is unconstitutional.
Despite being named as a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, the Convention People’s Party has publicly distanced itself from the legal action. The party clarified that it was not consulted by the Democracy Hub before the suit was filed and has no official involvement in the case.
The lawsuit has reignited national discussions on how Ghana should commemorate historical figures, particularly those associated with military takeovers. While some argue that Kotoka’s role in the 1966 coup makes his name unsuitable for a national monument, others believe the airport’s name should remain unchanged as part of Ghana’s complex history.
As the Supreme Court prepares to deliberate on the case, the legal and public debate over Kotoka International Airport’s name continues to unfold, with broader implications for how Ghana acknowledges its past while upholding democratic principles.
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