Veteran journalist Paul Adom-Otchere has described the 1966 military coup that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, as a necessary intervention to prevent the country from descending into civil war.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, February 7, 2026, the former Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) Board Chairman argued that Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka should be remembered as a rescuer rather than simply a coup maker.
“There was nowhere else to go,” Adom-Otchere said, explaining that Nkrumah had declared himself life president and made the Convention People’s Party (CPP) the only legal party.
He contended that similar political conditions in other African countries during the 1980s led to devastating civil wars, which Ghana avoided through the actions of Kotoka and his colleagues in 1966.
“Kotoka came in and said, no, we can’t do this. The only reasonable way was to remove him,” Adom-Otchere stated during the discussion on the proposed renaming of Kotoka International Airport.
The journalist criticized what he described as attempts to present a sanitized version of Nkrumah’s presidency, arguing that historical accuracy requires acknowledging both achievements and failures.
“From 1960 up to the time Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966, he was a despot. He was not good for Ghana. He was terrible for Ghana,” Adom-Otchere declared.
He referenced the Preventive Detention Act (PDA) introduced in 1958, which he said was used to arrest citizens without court intervention based solely on ministerial suspicion.
“You could be arrested and put in custody without the intervention of a court,” he explained, adding that from 1961 to 1964, widespread fear gripped Ghanaian households as the law was applied extensively.
Adom-Otchere also highlighted constitutional amendments passed in 1964 that expanded presidential authority, enabling Nkrumah to dismiss judges and ban all political parties.
He accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using the proposal to rename Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport as a tool for political score settling rather than national interest.
“What all this is about is settling political scores. It has nothing to do with renaming an airport; it has everything to do with revisiting a major political chapter in our history,” he stated.
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, announced on February 3, 2026, that the government plans to change the airport name through legislation to be laid before Parliament by the Transport Minister during the current session.
Activist and lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor responded to Adom-Otchere’s comments, addressing the journalist’s observation that his criticism of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration suggests he would have also opposed some of Nkrumah’s actions.
“I have seen Paul Adom Otchere’s comments saying that seeing how I objected to Nana Addo’s misgovernance, it shows that if I was alive during the First Republic, I would also oppose Nkrumah on some of his excesses,” Barker-Vormawor said.
The Democracy Hub convener reflected on the importance of principled consistency, stating that there is value in maintaining principles even when challenging widely respected figures.
Barker-Vormawor also referenced what he termed Adom-Otchere’s handling of the Christmas tree saga under the Akufo-Addo administration, questioning how the journalist might have responded during earlier periods.
“Now, judging by my friend’s Christmas tree saga in Nana Addo’s regime, I am trying to imagine what he would be doing then. Still bootlicking?” Barker-Vormawor said.
The proposed renaming has generated significant political disagreement across Ghana. Supporters frame the change as addressing historical injustices, arguing that naming the primary international gateway after a key figure in the coup that overthrew Nkrumah contradicts democratic values.
Critics warn that reopening such debates risks deepening political divisions and diverting attention from urgent economic challenges facing the country.
Adom-Otchere revealed during the Newsfile discussion that when he served on the GACL board, officials considered renaming the airport after former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, citing the value of global branding at international airports.
