A Ghanaian citizen has filed a suit at the Supreme Court of Ghana seeking to block the government’s decision to rename the Kotoka International Airport, arguing that the move is unconstitutional and legally invalid.
Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers, who initiated the case on March 13, 2026, is invoking the court’s original jurisdiction to challenge the decision. He contends that the Executive lacks the authority to rename the airport without first amending or repealing the law that established its current name.
At the centre of the dispute is the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NLCD 339), which legally designates the airport’s name. The plaintiff is asking the court to affirm that the law remains valid and binding until it is properly amended by Parliament.
According to the writ, any executive directive attempting to rename the facility to “Accra International Airport” is “null, void, and of no legal effect” unless due legislative processes are followed.
The suit, filed by his lawyer Michael Akosah of Adu-Gyamfi & Associates, also argues that the government’s decision breaches provisions of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, specifically Articles 11(1)(d) and 11(4), which govern the recognition and amendment of existing laws.
In addition to seeking legal declarations, Brako-Powers is requesting both interim and perpetual injunctions to restrain the Ministry of Transport and its agents from implementing the proposed name change.
He maintains that until NLCD 339 is lawfully amended, repealed, or nullified, no executive action can override it.
The airport is named after Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup that overthrew Kwame Nkrumah. Kotoka was later killed during a counter-coup attempt in 1967, after which the airport was named in his honour.
The proposed renaming has sparked public debate, with some questioning its necessity while others point to the historical significance of the current name.
Brako-Powers says the case is being pursued in both his personal and public interest, emphasising the need to uphold the Constitution as Ghana’s supreme law. The suit was filed under Rule 45(1) of the Supreme Court Rules, 1996 (C.I. 16), and the Attorney-General has 14 days from the date of service to respond.
