Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has spoken for the first time about the chaos that erupted during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, insisting that she used pepper spray purely in self-defence.
The incident occurred on Friday, July 11, at the St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station, where a group of unidentified men reportedly stormed the area and attacked several people, including Koomson.
“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,” she said in an interview on UTV on Tuesday, July 15.
Viral videos from the scene showed the former Fisheries Minister pulling out a pepper spray canister and discharging it as several men approached her. According to Koomson, the individuals were known to her and had links to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“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. So, the claims that I went there with ill intentions and carried pepper spray for that purpose are unfounded.”
Koomson further alleged that she has been a repeated target of political violence and cited a past incident involving her son as a key reason for being cautious. She maintained that her actions were driven by fear for her life.
“My son was stabbed during the voter registration exercise, so I know I’m a target for the NDC. When I saw the thugs walking toward me holding knives, I acted in self-defence,” she added.
