A Ghanaian citizen has asked the Supreme Court to block the government’s plan to rename Kotoka International Airport, arguing the move is unconstitutional and legally invalid.
Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers filed the suit on March 13, 2026, invoking the court’s original jurisdiction. He contends the Executive cannot change the airport’s name without amending or repealing the 1969 General Kotoka Trust Decree, which established its current designation.
“Any Executive order purportedly issued to effect the renaming of Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport…is null, void, and of no legal effect,” the writ states.
Brako-Powers is seeking declarations that the decree remains binding until Parliament acts, as well as injunctions to prevent the Ministry of Transport from implementing the new name. His lawyer, Michael Akosah of Adu-Gyamfi & Associates, filed the writ in Kumasi.
The plaintiff argues the government’s decision, announced as part of a transport sector rebranding, violates Articles 11(1)(d) and 11(4) of the 1992 Constitution, which outline procedures for amending existing laws.
Kotoka International Airport was named after Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup that ousted President Kwame Nkrumah. Kotoka was killed a year later in a counter-coup attempt, and the airport was named in his honor.
The proposed renaming has stirred public debate, with critics citing the historical significance of the current name. Brako-Powers says he filed the case in both personal and public interest, stressing the need to uphold the Constitution.
The Attorney-General has 14 days from service of the writ to respond.
