The son of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has challenged President Akufo-Addo’s assertion that Ghana was not founded by a single individual.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express, Dr Sekou Nkrumah emphasized, “What the President completely misses is that Nkrumah was one man, but he represented millions of Ghanaians, and that was exactly the grassroots connection he had.”
Sekou Nkrumah elaborated that the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) initially brought his father on board because they needed his expertise and leadership.
He pointed out, “UGCC was the biggest political movement, but its presence across the country was not big enough. They were just active in six constituencies or so across the country. Nkrumah came, did the legwork, went across the country, mobilized people, energized the whole struggle for independence, and kind of took over leadership after breaking away and forming the Convention People’s Party (CPP). He created a mass movement.”
He further explained that after Nkrumah’s split from the UGCC, the majority of the populace followed him, resulting in his decisive victories in the 1951 and 1956 elections.
“The point that the President is missing is that Nkrumah is not one man but represents millions,” he added.
These comments come in response to President Akufo-Addo’s 2024 Founders’ Day address, where he emphasized the collective effort behind Ghana’s independence, stating, “I speak to you this evening, rejecting completely the notion that Ghana was founded by one man. While Kwame Nkrumah’s contributions to our independence are undeniable, it is important to acknowledge that the struggle for our nation’s freedom was a collective effort spanning several generations.”
Dr Sekou Nkrumah criticized this view, suggesting that President Akufo-Addo is “caught up in the emotions of the past.” He reflected on a turbulent period in Ghana’s history marked by political violence and multiple attempts on his father’s life. As Kwame Nkrumah sought to reduce the violence, opposition members, including some of the Big Six, suffered.
“Three of the Big Six ended up in political detention under Nkrumah – Obetsebi Lamptey, J.B. Danquah, and Ako Adjei, who had actually suggested that Nkrumah become the general secretary,” Sekou Nkrumah noted.
“Two of them, Obetsebi Lamptey and J.B. Danquah, tragically died in political detention, which is a very sad chapter in Ghana’s history. I am sensitive to the feelings of their families because Nkrumah took responsibility for those actions.”