Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has justified her use of pepper spray during the violent scenes that erupted at the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on Friday, July 11, insisting she acted purely in self-defence.
The by-election, held at St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station, was marred by chaos when a group of unidentified men reportedly overpowered police officers and launched attacks on several individuals, including the former Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister.
Footage of the incident that has since gone viral shows Hawa Koomson pulling out and deploying a canister—confirmed to be pepper spray—as a group of men advanced toward her.
Breaking her silence in an interview with Accra-based UTV on Tuesday, July 15, Hawa Koomson dismissed allegations that she arrived at the polling station with intentions to incite violence.
“I went to the polling centre with my security detail, but the police insisted I enter alone because they said no unauthorised persons were allowed. I had no plan to cause any disturbance,” she explained.
She claimed she was deliberately targeted by individuals she recognized from Kasoa, alleging they were aligned with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“As soon as the group stormed the venue, I recognised two NDC operatives from Kasoa. One of them shouted, ‘Where is Hawa Koomson?’ and immediately, they came after me. So, any claims that I brought pepper spray to start trouble are completely untrue.”
Citing past incidents, Hawa Koomson said she has faced threats before and believed her life was in danger during the fracas.
“During the voter registration exercise, my son was stabbed. I know I’m a target for the NDC. So when I saw the men approaching with knives, I reacted out of fear for my safety,” she said.
The incident has sparked intense public debate and renewed calls for improved security and political accountability during elections.
