Presidential staffer Beatrice Annan has condemned the violent incidents that disrupted the Ablekuma North electoral rerun, describing the attacks on political figures and journalists as “utterly unacceptable.”
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, Beatrice Annan addressed reports that former Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Mavis Hawa Koomson was among those targeted during the unrest.
She questioned the former MP’s presence at the polling station, given what she described as her “chequered history.”
“The violence against Hawa Koomson is condemnable,” Beatrice Annan stated, “but it is important to consider why she was targeted. She has a chequered history. She wasn’t the only former MP present, why didn’t the others carry pepper spray?”
Beatrice Annan appeared to reference past incidents involving Mavis Hawa Koomson, including a widely publicised event in 2020 in which the then-minister admitted to firing a gun at a voter registration centre in Kasoa.
The NDC communicator used this to frame her criticism, suggesting that the former MP’s history contributed to tensions at the polling centre.
“You know the funny thing?” She continued, “She even started carrying pepper spray. She has her own chequered history, and if I were her, polling stations would be the last place I’d go, knowing that is my record.”
While reiterating that her party condemns all forms of violence, Beatrice Annan also took aim at the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing them of hypocrisy.
“Let me also make the point that while we condemn the attack on Hawa Koomson, the NPP are the last people we’ll be taking moral lessons from,” she said, implying that the ruling party lacks the moral high ground when it comes to political violence.
The Ablekuma North rerun was called following disputes during the original constituency elections. Several reports have since emerged detailing chaotic scenes, assaults on journalists, and political operatives being manhandled, prompting widespread calls for greater security and accountability in Ghana’s electoral processes.
Authorities have yet to announce any arrests in connection with the disturbances, but both major parties, the NDC and the NPP, have condemned the violence and called for calm.
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