Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East and ex-Fisheries Minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has broken her silence on the viral pepper spray incident that occurred during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11, insisting her actions were driven purely by self-defence.
In an exclusive interview on UTV, Hawa Koomson confirmed deploying pepper spray during the confusion at the St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station, where violence erupted after a group of unidentified men allegedly overpowered police officers and launched attacks on several individuals, including herself.
Footage from the chaotic scene, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows the former minister pulling out a canister—later confirmed as pepper spray—and using it as men approached her aggressively.
“I was at the voting centre with my security, but the police insisted I enter alone, saying unauthorised persons were not allowed in. I did not go there to cause trouble,” Koomson clarified.
She went on to allege that the attack was politically motivated and claimed she recognised some of the attackers as known affiliates of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) from Kasoa.
“As soon as the thugs entered, I identified two NDC guys from Kasoa. One of them shouted, ‘Where is Hawa Koomson?’ and they just pounced on me,” she recounted. “So, the claims that I went there with ill intentions and carried pepper spray for that purpose are unfounded.”
Koomson further explained that her defensive reflex was heightened by a history of targeted attacks against her and her family, particularly during previous electoral exercises.
“My son was stabbed during the voter registration exercise, so I know I’m a target for the NDC,” she said. “When I saw the thugs walking toward me holding knives, I acted in self-defence.”
Her comments have sparked fresh debate online and among political observers, with some defending her right to protect herself in a volatile situation, while others have raised concerns about the precedent of politicians carrying pepper spray at polling centres.
As investigations into the incident continue, many are calling for a deeper look into the state of election security and the role of party-affiliated violence in Ghana’s democratic processes.
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