The Deputy National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abigail Elorm Akwambea Mensah, has condemned reported plans by the newly elected National Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mavis Hawa Koomson, to provide pepper spray to women in the party.
According to Madam Mensah, the proposal was irresponsible and provocative, warning that such rhetoric could heighten political tensions and undermine efforts to promote peaceful elections ahead of the 2028 general elections.
She said women should be empowered through education, economic opportunities, effective organisation and protection of their democratic rights, rather than being encouraged to carry items that could potentially be used during political confrontations.
“Pepper spray is not a badge of political empowerment. It is not a campaign material. It is not a substitute for leadership,” she stated.
Madam Mensah made the remarks while congratulating the newly elected national executives of the NPP, but said the completion of the party’s internal elections should not erase concerns surrounding the process.
She noted that the election, which was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m., reportedly started around midday, while reports of violence and disorder had also raised concerns about the conduct of the exercise.
She urged the NPP leadership to recognise that leadership was not merely about occupying positions, but also about respecting delegates, maintaining order, accepting accountability and demonstrating commitment to peaceful politics.
Madam Mensah condemned what she described as acts of violence, intimidation and political lawlessness, stressing that no political party should cultivate fear among its members or create the impression that political power could be secured through force.
She said Ghana’s democratic development required political actors to reject threats, intimidation and violent confrontation, particularly as the country approaches the 2028 elections.
“Women must be mobilised as agents of peace, development, civic participation and national progress—not conditioned or deployed for reckless partisan confrontation,” she said.
The NDC Deputy National Women’s Organiser further assured members of the NDC Women’s Wing that the party remained prepared to protect its members and defend the democratic space through lawful means.
She said the NDC women were “disciplined, courageous and well-organised” and would not be intimidated or silenced.
“Our answer to threats will be unity; our answer to provocation will be courage; and our answer to political violence will be firm, lawful, strategic and uncompromising democratic action,” she declared.
Madam Mensah stressed that the NDC remained committed to peace, but cautioned that its commitment should not be interpreted as weakness.
She called on the newly elected NPP executives to provide responsible leadership and build an opposition that would contribute positively to Ghana’s democratic development.
She again congratulated the new NPP executives and wished them well, while urging them to distance themselves from disorder, intimidation and what she described as the reckless politics of pepper-spray distribution.
