The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, has endorsed the government’s decision to rename Kotoka International Airport, describing it as long overdue and historically justified.
Speaking in an interview following the announcement on February 3, 2026, A Plus welcomed the move to revert the airport’s name to Accra International Airport, arguing that the current name represents a painful chapter in Ghana’s political history.
“It is disgraceful and I’m excited that His Excellency the President has changed the name from Kotoka to reflect the person who actually built the airport…even though it’s not Kwame Nkrumah International Airport, it is back to Accra International Airport and I think it’s the best thing,” he said.
Beyond the renaming, the Gomoa Central MP made controversial remarks, calling for Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka to be symbolically “prosecuted even in death.”
“Apart form the name change Kotoka must be prosecuted even in his death.”
“Kotoka is the main reason why we are where we are today. He must be treated as an enemy of the state,” A Plus stated.
He argued that the 1966 overthrow of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, derailed the country’s development trajectory, particularly in areas such as industrialisation and fisheries.
Ghanaians divided over proposal to rename Kotoka International Airport
“Anybody who overthrew Kwame Nkrumah destroyed the destiny of a whole country… Everybody who is suffering today is because of what Kotoka did,” he added.
The comments come after the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, announced that government will soon lay a bill to officially rename the country’s main international airport.
Addressing journalists ahead of the first sitting of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Ayariga confirmed that the Minister for Transport will introduce legislation to change the name from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport.
“We are changing the name of our airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport. A bill will be brought by the Minister for Transport to facilitate this change,” he said.
Ayariga emphasised that the process would be guided by law and reflect the will of the Ghanaian people.
The proposed renaming follows years of public debate and advocacy by various individuals and groups who argue that the airport should not honour a figure associated with the 1966 military coup.
Historically, the airport began as a British Royal Air Force military facility during World War II.
In 1956, under President Nkrumah, development began to convert it into a civilian airport. The project was completed in 1958, and it was officially named Accra International Airport, with the capacity to handle about 500,000 passengers annually.
In 1969, however, the airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in honour of Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a member of the National Liberation Council, who was killed during an abortive coup attempt in 1967 at a site now located at the airport’s forecourt.
@tina_news_gh LIVE NOW || Hon. Kwame Aplus expresses his excitement over the government’s decision to change the name of Kotoka International Airport, saying it now reflects the person who actually built the airport, even though it is not named after Kwame Nkrumah. #whattowatch #tinanewsgh ♬ original sound - Tina News Gh
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