Those who overthrew the legitimate government of Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1966 were “evil men,” Prof Edmund Delle, Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has said.

“Ever since the forward march of this country was truncated by evil men in 1966, through the overthrow of the legitimate government of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana has not seen or witnessed any realistic development. The situation became worse when we returned to multiparty democracy in 1992,” Prof Delle said on Saturday, 29 October at the launch of the party’s 2016 manifesto.

Nkrumah was the Gold Coast’s first Prime Minister and also became the first President of Ghana after the British colony gained independence in 1957.

On February 24, 1966, while Nkrumah was on a state visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, his government was overthrown in a military coup led by General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka and the National Liberation Council. Declassified intelligence showed the CIA had a hand in his overthrow.

Prof Delle told the gathering of supporters at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra that the CPP, a “sleeping giant” was now “awake” and ready to take the reins of government again to bring prosperity to the people of Ghana.