Adentan parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Akosua Manu, has revealed chilling details of the violent assault on former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, claiming the attack could have been fatal had the former minister not used pepper spray in self-defence.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, July 13, after accompanying former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to visit the injured Koomson, Manu described the incident as a deliberate and targeted political attack.
According to her, Hawa Koomson recounted being ambushed by a group of young men while observing proceedings at a polling station. The former minister, she said, had been separated from her personal security at the time and was left vulnerable.
“Her narration gave me goosebumps because she said at one polling station, as she was entering, she was told she could only go in with one person. At the time, it was the police personnel who were next to her.
“So they were making the rounds, and she went, and her team of personal security stayed back a bit. As she was observing, she heard people say ‘where is she, where is she’ and then she looked up and saw a group of young men coming towards her.
“One of whom she recognises. They literally charged at her. She mentioned seeing something that looked like a weapon, to which she immediately reached out for her pepper-spray. She said if it wasn’t for her pepper-spray, to slow their charge on her, she sure would have been worse than anticipated. Mind you, she didn’t go to cause any confusion,” Manu narrated.
She described the incident as “terrifying” and a direct threat to the democratic process, adding that the former minister had been left physically and emotionally shaken by the ordeal.
Manu condemned the assault in the strongest terms and called on political leaders, security agencies, and the Electoral Commission to take urgent steps to ensure such violence is never repeated.
“What happened to Hawa Koomson could have happened to anyone,” she warned. “This isn’t about political rivalry anymore, it’s about life and safety.”
The Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun was marred by violence at multiple polling centres, with reports of attacks on party agents, voters, and even journalists.
The NPP has since appealed to the Inspector General of Police to investigate the violence and ensure maximum protection for voters and party officials.
