The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama and his government to remove the names of all coup makers from state monuments and public institutions, describing the move as necessary to safeguard Ghana’s democratic culture.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Communications Director, Osei Kofi Acquah, the CPP argued that Ghana must build strong public opposition against unconstitutional changes of government, echoing the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s view that public opinion is central to fighting societal vices.
The party singled out Emmanuel E. K. Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup that overthrew Dr. Nkrumah, describing him as a symbol of insubordination and betrayal of the democratic will of the people. According to the CPP, the 1966 coup set a dangerous precedent that emboldened sections of the military to overthrow constitutionally elected governments.
The statement noted that subsequent military interventions led to the collapse of the Second and Third Republics, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property, torture of innocent citizens, and the separation of families, often based on what the party described as false assumptions and accusations.
With several countries in the sub-region currently under military rule, the CPP said it is crucial for Ghana to protect its democratic system, which was endorsed by popular referendum in 1992.
The party commended former President Mahama and his government for what it described as a bold decision in addressing the legacy of military coups. It further called for Emmanuel Kotoka and all other officers involved in the 1966 coup to be posthumously de-ranked to the level of corporals as a deterrent to members of the armed services who may contemplate overthrowing an elected government.
Additionally, the CPP demanded that all coup plotters who toppled constitutional governments from the First to the Third Republics be similarly de-ranked, and that all state monuments, streets, buildings, and images bearing their names be removed without delay.
The party said such measures would help position Ghana as a “no coup d’état zone” and reinforce the country’s commitment to democratic governance.
The statement concluded with a reaffirmation of the CPP’s support for the Fourth Republic and Ghana’s democratic future.
