Historian and lawyer Yaw Anokye Frimpong has argued that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would never have formed a government if not for the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and the democratic transition led by former President Jerry John Rawlings.

Speaking on The Citizen Show on Accra  100.5 FM with host Nana Otu Darko, Frimpong stated that Ghana’s political history clearly shows how military interventions and later democratic reforms reshaped the country’s leadership structure, creating opportunities that did not originally exist.

According to him, every democratic government has the responsibility to review and change policies, symbols, or decisions that may create division or glorify painful moments in the nation’s past.

He referenced the controversy surrounding December 31 being observed as a public holiday, noting that the matter was taken to the Supreme Court because some citizens believe commemorating coup-related events could reopen old wounds and indirectly encourage unconstitutional changes of government.

Mr Frimpong also questioned why Kotoka International Airport continues to bear the name of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kotoka, a key figure in the coup that removed Dr Nkrumah from office.

He argued that naming national monuments after coup leaders could send the wrong message to younger generations.

“When young people hear such names, it may make coups look heroic,” he said, stressing that Ghana should promote democratic values rather than celebrate military takeovers.

He further explained that former President John Agyekum Kufuor could not change the airport’s name because of historical and political ties, pointing out that the Busia political tradition, which later evolved into the NPP, benefited from Nkrumah’s removal.

Mr Frimpong maintained that without the overthrow of Nkrumah and Rawlings’ introduction of multiparty democracy in 1992, the NPP might never have come to power.

“If Nkrumah had not been removed, that political tradition would not have had the opportunity to rule.

Kwame Nkrumah is far bigger than the NPP,” he emphasised.

He concluded by urging Ghanaians to reflect on the broader picture of history and ensure that national symbols and holidays promote unity, democracy, and respect for the country’s constitutional order rather than division.