Editorial: Vigilantism: A Warning Ghana Cannot Afford To Ignore
The National Security Coordinator, COP Dr Osman Alhassan Abdul Razak, has warned that political vigilantism in Ghana has evolved from informal party youth mobilisation into organised groups capable of threatening the country’s electoral processes and national security. Speaking on Tuesday at an Election Watch Ghana dialogue on vigilantism, he said what began as youth mobilisation […] The post…
National Security Coordinator COP Dr Osman Alhassan Abdul Razak has cautioned that political vigilantism in Ghana has progressed from informal party mobilisation to organised groups posing threats to electoral processes and national security. Speaking at an Election Watch Ghana dialogue, he explained how this issue has evolved from youth mobilisation for party visibility into structured groups with uniforms, command structures, and in some cases, weapons.
Abdul Razak traced the roots of political vigilantism to the 1950s when informal party task forces transformed into groups involved in election-related violence. He emphasised that election-related violence should not be considered merely a law-and-order issue, as it risks undermining public confidence in elections, weakening trust in state institutions, and threatening social cohesion crucial for Ghana's democratic development.
He cited the 1992 Constitution, which grants the state exclusive authority to organise and deploy security forces, warning that groups carrying out security functions outside this framework undermine lawful state authority. The Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), was introduced as a timely response to public concerns and incidents of violence linked to political vigilantism.
However, the Chronicle finds this assessment troubling, as vigilante groups still pose a serious risk to the Fourth Republic. The Chronicle acknowledges the role of chronic youth unemployment and slow action by successive governments in recruiting individuals into these groups. It also raises concerns about individuals associated with vigilantism seeking positions within state security services and political office, which calls for scrutiny of accountability and impartiality in state institutions.
The Chronicle urges the enforcement of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, including targeting those who sponsor or benefit from vigilante groups, and calls for the dismantling of patronage networks that tie state resources and jobs to party allegiance.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
