We’ve seen your role in previous incidents, did you apologise? – GFL slams Hawa Koomson

Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, says he has no sympathy for former Awutu Senya East MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, after she was assaulted during the parliamentary rerun in Ablekuma North, Greater Accra Region.

Although he condemned the violent incidents that disrupted voting in 19 polling stations, Koomson didn’t hold back in criticizing the former fisheries minister’s actions.

“Why would anyone go to a polling station with pepper spray? What were you expecting to happen there?” he asked.

“We’ve seen her role in previous incidents. Has she ever shown remorse for those actions?”

His remarks referenced the widely criticized 2020 voter registration incident, when Hawa Koomson admitted to firing a gun at a registration center, claiming it was an act of self-defense. That episode has remained controversial and continues to resurface in public debates.

During the July 2025 rerun, tensions ran high in several polling centers across Ablekuma North. At the St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station, eyewitnesses say a group of men arrived in a pickup and on motorbikes, causing panic among voters and electoral officials.

Despite a visible police presence, reports of voter impersonation, vote-buying, and violent clashes emerged. A viral video from the scene captured the moment Hawa Koomson used pepper spray during a scuffle, only to be overpowered by a furious crowd.

Responding to the footage, Koomson stood by his condemnation of election-related violence but stressed that individuals who once supported such tactics must also take responsibility.

“We should not condone violence under any circumstances,” he stated.

“But those who have previously promoted or benefited from such acts must reflect on their own actions. Maybe this is a moment of reckoning.”

Koomson shared his views during an appearance on Yepe Ahunu, a programme on Ahotor FM, on Saturday, July 12, 2025.