The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 parliamentary candidate for Adentan, Akosua Manu, has defended former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson following a violent assault on her during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, insisting the former Minister was “targeted” and did not go there to incite confusion.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, July 13, after accompanying former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his entourage to visit Hawa Koomson, Akosua Manu recounted the ordeal as described by the former Minister.
According to Manu, Hawa Koomson explained that she was at the polling station peacefully when she was attacked, and only resorted to using pepper spray in self-defence after noticing one of the assailants appeared to be wielding a weapon.
“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,” she stated.
Manu condemned the assault as a clear act of political aggression and called on all political actors and stakeholders to denounce violence, especially during democratic exercises meant to uphold peace and representation.
Bawumia visits Hawa Koomson following assault at Ablekuma North rerun
