The Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, has recounted the challenges she endured in her journey to Parliament, including three alleged assassination attempts, wearing a bulletproof vest for eight months while breastfeeding and her arrest ahead of the 2024 general elections.

According to the MP, her political journey during the 2020 and 2024 general elections was marked by threats, intimidation and personal sacrifices but she remained determined to pursue her parliamentary ambitions despite the setbacks.

“I was almost killed on three separate occasions. I lost but I didn’t give up. I was called names, I was called a failure, but I didn’t give up,” she recounted.

Speaking at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast hosted by Olori Ivie Atuwatse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom in Nigeria, as part of the Elevate Africa gathering in Accra on October 27, 2026, the MP revealed that she wore a bulletproof vest for eight months while breastfeeding her baby due to security concerns.

She explained that wearing the protective vest for such a prolonged period took a physical toll on her, leaving her with severe body pains whenever she removed it.

“Wearing a bulletproof vest for eight months wasn’t easy. When you finish, your back is aching. It is not easy, so my sister, try again and push,” she said.

The MP also recalled her arrest ahead of the 2024 general elections over an alleged discrepancy in the documentation of a licensed firearm found in her vehicle.

According to her, the arrest stemmed from an error made during the renewal of her firearm licence, when a police officer allegedly omitted a letter from her name, creating inconsistencies between her identification documents and the licence.

“Before the election, I was mysteriously arrested. I was arrested because I had a licensed gun in my car. And what was my offence? My identity card had my name, Naa Koryoo but when it came to the renewal of my licensed gun, the police officer who renewed it omitted one ‘o’. So, apparently, there were two different personalities and I was arrested,” she explained.

She further claimed that her detention attracted national attention and prompted intervention from then-opposition leader John Dramani Mahama, who allegedly cancelled an important meeting to address the matter at a press conference.

“The whole of Ghana came to a standstill. The President of the Republic of Ghana had to cancel an important meeting to hold a press conference before I was released,” she recounted.

The MP said she remained resolute despite spending days in police custody, describing the experience as one of several difficult moments that tested her determination to pursue political leadership.

Reflecting on the violence surrounding her political campaigns, she also recounted an alleged gunpoint attack during the 2024 elections, which she said resulted in the death of one person and left others with life-changing injuries.

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“In 2024, I went, I contested and again, I was almost killed at gunpoint. Unfortunately, I lost one person and I have people whose legs and hands are amputated but Naa Koryoo is still sitting here alive,” she stated.

She described the challenges she encountered as tests of her resilience and determination as a woman seeking political leadership, stressing that she refused to allow intimidation, threats or personal setbacks to derail her ambitions.

The Awutu Senya East MP subsequently urged women aspiring to leadership positions not to abandon their dreams because of adversity, emphasising the importance of perseverance, courage and determination in overcoming life's challenges.

#creatorsearchinsights ‘I wore bullet proof vest for 8 months while I was breastfeeding my child because of fear, intimidation and attacks on me’ - Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Phyllis Naa Koryoo Akunor speaks on her struggle to get power as a woman https://t.co/Dx5Hh00Nry

— Accra City News (@accracitynews) October 27, 2026