At the 2026 NkrumahFest held in Nkroful, Ellembelle District, Western Region, Samia Yaba Nkrumah publicly denied claims that Ghanaians universally celebrated the 1966 overthrow of her father, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. She said such accounts are part of a negative narrative that misrepresents Nkrumah’s legacy.
Samia recalled the violent destruction of Nkrumah’s statue following the coup, including the severed head of the monument that once stood at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Museum in Accra. She argued that the demolition and any celebrations that followed should not be taken as evidence of national sentiment.
“That negative propaganda that when Osagyefo left, Ghanaians were happy is not true,” she said. She thanked those documenting a more accurate account of Nkrumah’s life and political legacy.
She also highlighted the unveiling of a new Nkrumah statue at a Sunyani roundabout, viewing it as a sign of renewed interest in his ideas. “When we unveiled the statue at the roundabout, I realised that yes, we are going to rise. Nzimaland will rise, Africa will rise, Ghana will rise, and Africans everywhere are going to rise,” she added.
Samia stressed that monuments serve as reminders of ideas that inspire confidence, strength and freedom, rather than mere symbols. She countered portrayals of Nkrumah as an isolationist or rigid leader, asserting that his nationalism coexisted with a broad Pan‑African outlook and international relationships.
The Nkrumah family’s renewed involvement in NkrumahFest aims to give younger generations a chance to examine his ideas beyond the negative historical narratives, reconnecting Ghanaians and Africans with his philosophy and vision for the continent.
