Ghana’s apex court has ordered the Attorney-General to file a response within seven days in a legal challenge contesting the reported renaming of Kotoka International Airport.
The directive was issued on Thursday, 14 May 2026, when the Supreme Court of Ghana considered an application by the Attorney-General seeking additional time to submit a statement of case in the matter of Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers v. Attorney-General.
The plaintiff, lawyer and policy analyst Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers, filed the suit in March, arguing that any attempt to rename the airport was not carried out in accordance with established legal procedures, particularly under the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NRCD 339).
Brako-Powers contends that changes to the airport’s official name must be effected through a formal amendment or repeal of the governing legislation, rather than by executive announcement or administrative directive.
The dispute centres on the legal and historical status of the airport, which is named after Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in Ghana’s political history.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Michael Akosah, told journalists that any renaming process must comply strictly with constitutional and statutory requirements, including parliamentary approval where applicable.
Lawyers for the state, led by a Chief State Attorney, had requested additional time to respond to the substantive issues raised in the suit. While granting the extension, the court emphasised the need for expedited proceedings and warned against delays.
The Attorney-General is now expected to clarify whether any existing legal framework permits the executive or state institutions to unilaterally rename national landmarks without recourse to Parliament.
Brako-Powers argues that the case raises broader constitutional questions about the limits of executive authority, administrative decision-making, and the legal safeguards governing the management of state assets.
The matter is expected to return before the Supreme Court after the Attorney-General files its response, with legal observers describing it as a potentially significant test of governance norms and constitutional procedure in Ghana.
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