Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal and communications team, has denounced the violent assault on former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, but suggests her reputation may have played a role in triggering the altercation.
Appearing on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, July 14, Adawudu stated unequivocally that the attack on Koomson was unacceptable, but argued that her long-standing political conduct may have provoked heightened tensions at the polling station.
“Why will you even go to a polling station holding pepper spray? What was the motive? You are only going there to monitor, so why go with that?” he asked pointedly. “People from the NPP were there, high-ranking people, and they were not attacked. She should have known. I have always said that if you live by the sword, you must always die by the sword.”
Adawudu accused Koomson of building a political persona centered around intimidation and aggression, saying that such a legacy naturally stirs public unease and fear.
“The optics and the brand for Mavis Hawa Koomson are associated with violence, which may not be good for her,” he added. “When she arrived and the tension rose, her intelligence should have warned her that the place was not safe for her. This is not a justification. Of course, the incident should be condemned.”
The incident occurred on Friday, July 11, at the St. Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling centre, where a group of unidentified men disrupted the electoral process and unleashed violence on several individuals.
Channel One News reporter Jude Duncan confirmed that both Hawa Koomson and NPP parliamentary candidate Nana Akua Afriyie were assaulted during the chaos. Both women reportedly sustained injuries to the face.
Security personnel were eventually deployed to restore calm, allowing voting to resume under tight protection.
The rerun in 19 polling stations was ordered by the Electoral Commission to resolve legal and procedural issues stemming from the December 7, 2024, general elections. The Ablekuma North constituency had remained without parliamentary representation since then.
At the end of the day’s polls, the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn emerged victorious with 34,090 votes, narrowly beating Nana Akua Afriyie of the NPP, who garnered 33,881 votes.
