Tensions surrounding the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun continue to dominate national debate after Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, raised serious concerns about the presence and conduct of former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson during the violence that disrupted the election on July 11.
Appearing on the JoyNews AM Show on Monday, July 14, Ms Muslim questioned why the former Member of Parliament, previously involved in a controversial gun incident during the 2020 voter registration in Kasoa, continues to participate in sensitive electoral operations without accountability.
“You know that the person of Hawa Koomson, who wielded a gun, moved out a gun, and shot a gun, and then there were casualties in the Kasoa area, to date, she has not been held accountable,” Ms Muslim stated.
She suggested that Koomson’s presence at polling stations may incite fear and escalate tensions, given her past involvement in violent political episodes.
“So when Hawa Koomson is seen around an election area, it will increase tensions and people will wonder why she is there.”
Though Ms Muslim condemned the violence Koomson endured during the rerun, she stressed the need for transparency around the former minister’s own actions that day.
“Unfortunately, as a woman, I cannot with any clear conscience say it is acceptable that she was beaten the way she was beaten. Personally, I cannot say that.”
However, her remarks also highlighted lingering questions about Koomson’s access to the polling station, her use of pepper spray, and the response of security agencies.
“We cannot also now try to discount why she was there, why she had access to the perimeter, why she held the pepper spray, and why she sprayed out a pepper spray at the point that security agencies had cordoned her and were providing her protection.”
The Ablekuma North rerun, held at the St. Peter’s Society Methodist Church polling station in Odorkor, was thrown into disarray after a group of armed men stormed the area in a pickup truck and on motorbikes. The attack resulted in panic and physical confrontations, with multiple politicians and voters injured, including Koomson herself.
Ms Muslim’s comments contribute to renewed national calls for accountability in political leadership, especially when electoral events are marred by violence. With Ghana preparing for more high-stakes elections, the debate over the role of former officials in electoral processes and the persistent issue of political vigilantism is far from over.
