Stories and facts

Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and a leading figure in Africa’s independence movements, was overthrown in a military coup on February 24, 1966. This event marked a turning point in Ghana’s history, bringing an abrupt end to Nkrumah’s socialist-oriented administration and ushering in an era of military rule.

The Context Leading to the Coup

Nkrumah came to power in 1957 when Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from colonial rule. As the Convention People's Party (CPP) leader, he championed pan-Africanism, industrialisation, and socialist policies aimed at economic self-sufficiency.

However, by the mid-1960s, several challenges had eroded his popularity. Ghana's economy, burdened by significant state investments in industrial projects and infrastructural development, was in crisis.

There were widespread shortages of essential commodities, high inflation, and mounting external debt. Additionally, Nkrumah’s government faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies, including the passage of the Preventive Detention Act, which allowed for the arrest of political opponents without trial.

On the international front, Nkrumah’s pan-African ambitions and close ties with socialist countries like the Soviet Union and China raised concerns among Western powers, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. Some historians speculate that external forces, including the CIA, may have played a role in supporting the coup, though this remains a subject of debate.

The Coup and Its Execution

While Nkrumah was on a diplomatic mission to China and Vietnam, the Ghana Armed Forces and Police Service staged a coup, code-named "Operation Cold Chop." Led by Lieutenant General Joseph Arthur Ankrah, Major Akwasi Afrifa, and the National Liberation Council (NLC), the coup was executed with little resistance.

The coup plotters justified their actions by accusing Nkrumah of economic mismanagement, corruption, and dictatorial rule. They declared the CPP government dissolved and promised to restore democracy and economic stability.

The Aftermath

The National Liberation Council, composed of military and police officers, took control of the government. One of their first actions was to distance Ghana from Nkrumah’s socialist policies, seeking financial assistance from Western nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Several of Nkrumah’s flagship projects were abandoned or scaled back, and political prisoners were released as part of the new administration’s efforts to gain popular support.

Nkrumah, in exile in Guinea, where he was offered honorary co-presidency by his ally President Ahmed Sékou Touré, never returned to Ghana. He continued to advocate for African unity and wrote extensively about his vision for the continent.

Nkrumah died in 1972 in Romania, leaving behind a legacy as a towering figure in Africa’s fight for independence and a controversial leader in Ghana’s history.

Legacy of the 1966 Coup

The overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah is viewed as a watershed moment in Ghana's political history. It signalled the fragility of newly independent African states and the challenges of maintaining sovereignty amidst internal and external pressures. For some, the coup was a necessary correction to a failing regime. For others, it represented the loss of a visionary leader who sought to elevate Ghana and Africa to a position of global prominence.

Today, Nkrumah’s achievements and failures are the subject of ongoing debate. His dream of a united and prosperous Africa continues to inspire many, while the 1966 coup serves as a reminder of the complex interplay of politics, economics, and foreign influence in shaping post-colonial African nations.