The launch of a new security volunteer group affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has reignited debate over the role of party-aligned security groups in the politics, recalling the controversies that surrounded political vigilante organisations before they were outlawed.

The newly inaugurated 42-member group, known as The Lions of NPP, was officially unveiled with the stated objective of providing security, protecting party interests and supporting the party’s organisational activities ahead of the 2028 general elections.

Drawn from constituencies across the Upper East Region, the volunteer group was launched under the motto “Be Bold to Do the Right Thing”, with party organisers indicating that members would assist in maintaining security during party programmes and help strengthen grassroots mobilisation.

The emergence of the group has inevitably drawn comparisons with the political vigilante groups that operated within Ghana’s two major political parties before the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999).

Prior to the 2020 general election, both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) faced widespread criticism over the activities of party-affiliated groups such as the Invisible Forces, Delta Force, Bolga Bulldogs, Kandahar Boys, and the NDC-linked Azorka Boys, among others.

These groups were frequently accused by civil society organisations, election observers and security experts of intimidation, violence and disrupting public order during political activities.

The concerns intensified after the NPP won the 2016 general election under then-presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Following the party’s victory, members of some of the vigilante groups were involved in a number of high-profile incidents, including disturbances at public institutions and confrontations that raised questions about law and order and the influence of partisan security groups.

Growing public concern prompted sustained calls from religious bodies, civil society organisations and the National Peace Council for political parties to dismantle such groups.

In response, Parliament passed the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act in 2019, making the formation, operation and financing of political vigilante groups a criminal offence.

Both the NPP and the NDC publicly committed themselves to disbanding their recognised vigilante organisations and pledged to comply with the new law.

However, political debate over party security structures resurfaced during the 2024 general election.

Some NPP officials alleged that although the NDC had officially dissolved its vigilante groups, it continued to rely on informal security volunteers and party activists to protect its campaign activities and polling stations.

The NDC rejected suggestions that it operated illegal vigilante groups, maintaining that its election security arrangements complied with the law.

The launch of The Lions of NPP is therefore expected to attract public attention, with observers likely to scrutinise whether the new organisation operates strictly within the legal framework governing political party activities.

Organisers of the group insist its mission is centred on providing lawful security support for party programmes, safeguarding party interests and strengthening organisational structures at both the constituency and regional levels.