Rare archival footage revisits Nkrumah's second term 1965 swearing-in ceremony

Archival footage showing Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, being sworn in for his second term in office has resurfaced on social media, offering a glimpse into a significant moment in the country’s political history.

The footage, circulating on X, captures the ceremony held at Parliament House in Accra on June 11, 1965, with then Chief Justice Julius Sarkodee-Adoo administering the oath of office.

Rare footage captures the day Nkrumah launched GTV in 1965

According to the accompanying caption, the video documents Dr Nkrumah’s return to the presidency for a second term, five years after he became President when Ghana was declared a republic in 1960.

During the ceremony, Dr Nkrumah pledged allegiance to the nation and undertook to uphold the Constitution, with the event attended by dignitaries and other guests.

He was accompanied to Parliament House by his wife, Fathia Nkrumah, as he took the oath of office.

Dr Nkrumah’s second term followed the June 1965 parliamentary elections, in which all 198 seats were won unopposed by candidates of his Convention People’s Party (CPP), which was then the only legally recognised political party.

His presidency, however, ended on February 24, 1966, when he was overthrown in a military coup while on a trip to China.

Watch the video below

Swearing-in ceremony of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for his second term as President of Ghana, administered by Chief Justice Julius Sarkodee-Adoo on June 11, 1965, at Parliament House in Accra. https://t.co/ICo1CP8WKL

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