Regime failure and the political legitimacy of governments in Ghana : the case of the Acheampong regime, 1972-1979

Abstract

This is a study of the politics of Ghana under successive military regimes, those of the National Redemption Council (NRC) and the Supreme Military Council (SMC) between January 1972 and June 1979. The NRC came to power in January 1972 through a coup d'etat led by Colonel I.K. Acheampong which toppled the elected Progress Party (PP) government of Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia. In October 1975, the NRC was supplanted by the SMC, and reconstituted in July 1978 under the leadership of General F.W.K. Akuffo.