Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has rejected claims that she was responsible for the violence that erupted during the parliamentary rerun election in the Ablekuma North constituency.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, the former Fisheries Minister said she is not a violent person and would never endanger lives.
“I have children and brothers. Why would I want to harm someone’s child? I won’t allow anyone to kill, and I certainly won’t do it myself,” she said.
Her comments come in the wake of last Friday’s violent incident at St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station, where the rerun took place across 19 polling stations following disputed results from the December 2024 elections.
According to reports, the violence broke out when unknown individuals overpowered police officers at the polling centre.
Viral videos from the scene captured the moment Hawa Koomson used pepper spray to defend herself as a crowd advanced toward her.
Responding to the incident, she said she was shocked by the attack and had no intention of causing confusion.
“I was surprised. I went there peacefully, but they attacked me. I had to defend myself,” she explained.
Touching on past incidents, Hawa Koomson also addressed claims from the 2020 general elections, where she was accused of firing gunshots in Kasoa.
“In 2020, nobody was killed in my constituency. It was the NDC that attacked me, and I fired a warning shot in self-defence,” she stated.
She also denied any confrontation with the NDC parliamentary candidate during the recent 2024 campaign.
“I never met with the NDC contender during the entire campaign period. I didn’t go near her or her events. So I was surprised to hear that I was being blamed for causing confusion,” she added.
The July 11 rerun was marred by tension and controversy, but Hawa Koomson insists she was targeted unfairly and that her actions were only in response to threats.
“I didn’t go there to fight. I was attacked, and I only tried to protect myself,” she concluded.
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
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