Hawa Koomson Speaks Out After Ablekuma Attack: “They Tried to Break Me, But I’m Still Standing”

By Joylinda Laryea / July 16, 2025

Former Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Hawa Koomson, has broken her silence following a violent attack on her at the Ablekuma North polling station during the limited re-run parliamentary elections on 11 July 2025.

Appearing on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 16 July, the outspoken NPP stalwart and aspiring National Women’s Organiser recounted what she described as a terrifying and deliberate assault aimed at forcing her out of the political arena.

“There was no provocation, no confrontation. I was just standing there with other party members when they came directly at me. They asked for me by name,” Koomson revealed, suggesting the attack was carefully planned.

According to her, she had accompanied the NPP’s parliamentary candidate, Nana Owusu Afriyie, a close ally, to several polling centres to offer moral support. The attack, she said, occurred at the sixth centre they visited.

“I only came to support a sister and colleague. I was just encouraging our teams to mobilise voters. But clearly, my presence was seen as a threat,” she stated.

Viral footage from the polling station showed Koomson fending off attackers with pepper spray. She confirmed using the substance in self-defence, citing a previous traumatic experience when her son was stabbed at a polling station last year.

“Since that incident, I always carry something for protection. If I hadn’t sprayed them, I might not be alive today,” she said.

Koomson recounted being physically assaulted, saying she was thrown to the ground, punched, and nearly stabbed by one of the assailants.

“I just kept asking myself do these men have mothers, sisters, or daughters? Why would they do this to a woman?”

Politically Motivated Attack

Koomson believes the attack was politically orchestrated to intimidate her and reduce the NPP’s electoral momentum in the area.

“They knew if I stayed there, I would reduce their chances. So instead of asking me to leave, they used violence. I never started any fight,” she emphasized. “If I was wrong, arrest me. But don’t attack me.”

She also dismissed claims that she instigated the violence, calling such allegations “insulting and false.”

The former minister said she has instructed her lawyers to take legal action against those making defamatory accusations against her. Despite the ordeal, she remains resolute in her political ambitions and confirmed her intention to contest the NPP’s National Women’s Organiser position when nominations open.

“I’ve been a strong woman all my life. If not for peace and my own safety, I would have contested my seat again. But I won’t be intimidated out of politics,” she affirmed.

Recovering physically and emotionally, Koomson expressed gratitude for her survival and thanked God for preserving her life.

“They tried to break me, but I’m still standing,” she declared.