A former Minister for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahiru Hammond, has launched a blistering attack on the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), arguing that the party should dissolve itself if it genuinely opposes coup makers.

His comments come amid growing public debate over the government’s proposal to rename the Kotoka International Airport as the Accra International Airport, a move that has generated widespread controversy, with critics questioning its relevance at a time of economic hardship.

According to adomonline.com report on February 9, 2026, Hammond described the proposed renaming as misplaced, insisting that the government should instead focus on more pressing national challenges, including economic difficulties, unemployment, and infrastructure deficits.

According to him, symbolic actions such as changing the airport’s name do little to address the daily struggles of the ordinary Ghanaian.

Airport Renaming: This is not the time; we have economic problems to solve - Dr Domfe

Turning his criticism squarely on the NDC, the former Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa said the party’s historical roots undermine its stance against coup figures.

He noted that the NDC traces its origins to the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which emerged after the December 31, 1981 coup led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.

“The founder of the PNDC, now NDC, came to power through a coup. So, if the party is against coup makers like Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, then they should collapse the NDC and form a new one,” Hammond asserted.

He added that the party’s history is inseparable from Ghana’s period of military interventions and urged the government to redirect its attention to policies that would bring tangible relief to citizens rather than reigniting historical debates.

MRA/VPO

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