Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw-Kotei, the outspoken National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pushed back forcefully against claims that her party used intimidation to win the recent parliamentary rerun in Ablekuma North — a constituency long held by the rival New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In am appearance on Face to Face on Channel One TV, Madam Bisiw-Kotei dismissed allegations of electoral misconduct as “baseless” and “insulting” to the voters who turned out in large numbers to cast their ballots.

“When they say we bullied our way, it’s like saying people didn’t vote — that we forced ballots into boxes that didn’t exist,” she said. “That’s not just unfair to us; it’s disrespectful to the people of Ablekuma North who stood in line, some after rushing from work, to exercise their rights.”

Her comments follow a contentious rerun on Friday, July 11, which saw NDC candidate Ewurabena Aubynn narrowly clinch the seat in a race marked by tension, drama, and pockets of violence.

The vote itself came after a disputed outcome in the 2024 general election. But even the rerun wasn’t without controversy. Tensions boiled over at the St. Peter’s Methodist Church polling station, where chaos erupted after unidentified men reportedly assaulted police officers and attacked voters — including former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson, who was seen in viral footage using pepper spray to fend off the attackers.

Despite the unrest, voting resumed, and the Electoral Commission later declared Aubynn the duly elected Member of Parliament for the constituency.

Bisiw-Kotei called the NPP’s accusations a “convenient excuse” for a party still reeling from losing a stronghold.

“They [the NPP] need to respect the democratic process,” she said. “The people spoke — not once, but twice. If you don’t like the result, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t earned.”

The NDC’s win in Ablekuma North is being viewed as a symbolic upset and a possible sign of shifting political winds ahead of the 2028 elections.