Accra, November 7, 2025 – In a heated rebuttal that has reignited tensions over the violent clashes during Ghana’s 2024 general elections, Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, has strongly contested assertions by Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka that she denied any attack on her convoy in Kasoa. The exchange underscores ongoing investigations into election-related violence that claimed at least one life and has drawn sharp political recriminations.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Ms. Okunor, representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC), dismissed the minister’s briefing as premature and incomplete. “I cannot keep quiet to an inconclusive report,” she declared, emphasizing that she never claimed her convoy was free from threat. “At no point did I say no attack happened. I stated emphatically to the task force that on election day, during my rounds, I noticed that my convoy was being followed by a V8 vehicle—allegedly known to be used by Hawa Koomson—and a NADMO pickup with a green government number plate,” she recounted. She further clarified that while she confirmed to investigators that her convoy was not physically attacked, she felt her life was in danger due to the suspicious trailing vehicles, a nuance she said was misconstrued in the preliminary findings. “The full report on electoral violence will vindicate me,” Ms. Okunor asserted, urging calm among supporters and expressing confidence that the ongoing task force probe would expose the full truth.
The controversy stems from Minister Muntaka’s presentation to Parliament on November 4, 2025, during a government accountability series on electoral violence in 2020 and 2024. Addressing the Awutu Senya East incidents—long a flashpoint between NDC and New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters—the minister revealed findings from the Election Security Task Force. He stated that Ms. Okunor had explicitly “denied that her convoy was attacked” and was “nowhere near the scene of the incident,” attributing the violence instead to “security lapses and institutional failures.” Muntaka further disclosed that one victim, Yusif Larri Idriss, died from gunshot wounds sustained in the fray, and that the driver of a Mahindra pickup truck—allegedly involved in firing shots—had been traced, though key witnesses, including one Mohammed Ali, had refused to cooperate.
Ms. Okunor’s initial allegations in December 2024 painted a starkly different picture. In a resurfaced Onua TV interview, she described being present at the scene and accused thugs linked to her NPP rival, then-incumbent MP Mavis Hawa Koomson, of targeting her motorcade, resulting in the deaths of two team members. These claims fueled widespread outrage and contributed to a toxic atmosphere in the constituency, which has a history of polling-day disruptions.
The minister’s report has since vindicated Ms. Koomson, who expressed relief in media appearances, calling it a “full and unequivocal” clearance. “I feel vindicated… God has done what He will do, and I believe there is a lot more to come,” the former Fisheries Minister told Adom FM, while lamenting the absence of an apology from Ms. Okunor. Ms. Koomson also denied any knowledge of the Mahindra vehicle, quipping, “Until my son was stabbed and they packed weapons in a Mahindra to a polling station, I never knew Naa Koryoo had a Mahindra in Kasoa.” She further linked Ms. Okunor’s “baseless allegations” to a subsequent attack on her own person in Ablekuma North, demanding public contrition.
NPP executives in Awutu Senya East have amplified calls for accountability, urging Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno to probe Ms. Okunor for “spreading falsehoods” that allegedly incited further unrest. Constituency chair Joseph Odoom described the MP’s actions as a “disgrace,” while secretary Emmanuel Addy pressed for an apology, accusing her of prioritizing “populist tactics” over development.
Undeterred, Ms. Okunor urged calm among her supporters and expressed confidence in the full investigative report. She clarified that her life “felt in danger” due to the trailing vehicles, a detail she claims was misconstrued in the preliminary briefing.
The Kasoa saga highlights persistent challenges in Ghana’s electoral security, with the 2024 polls marred by similar flare-ups in hotspots like Awutu Senya East. As the Task Force delves deeper—potentially implicating lapses in policing and vehicle tracking—the political fallout shows no signs of abating. Ms. Koomson has hinted at more revelations, while Ms. Okunor’s camp braces for what could be a defining chapter in the constituency’s volatile history.
Minister Muntaka, reached for comment, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency, noting that “further investigations are ongoing” to ensure justice for all victims. Political analysts warn that unresolved tensions could undermine trust in future elections, calling for swift resolution to prevent escalation.