Political Vigilante Groups in Ghana: Violence or Democracy?

Abstract

Literature on political vigilante groups has centred on the violence and conflict that emanate from their activities. This article approaches political vigilante groups as political actors who engage in political mobilisation and participation and therewith also contribute to nation state building. It explores how such groups participate in Ghana’s democratic governance and asks whether violence is an inevitable characteristic. The article builds on individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with political vigilante group members in Kumasi and Tamale in 2019. Findings show that political vigilante “youth” appeared to refer primarily to the social position attributed to non-elite groups in the political field. Political vigilante groups are multi-faceted in their organisational structures, membership, and activities both during electoral campaigns and during governing periods. While some groups revert to violence occasionally, the study concludes that political vigilante groups, in enabling different voices to be heard, are also contributing to democratic governance.

Clientelism & Local Governance in Ghana: Does Political Clientelism Influence Public Attitude towards the Election or Appointment MMDCEs in Ghana?

“…An explanation for this can be the fact that most of the respondents altered their responses in answering the question about working for a political party or candidate to appear credible during the survey process. Political vigilante studies in Ghana contend that political clientelism is a major contributing factor to the ever-increasing numbers of such groups in Ghana (Asamoah, 2020;Owusu Kyei & Berckmoes, 2020;Kumah-Abiwu, 2017;Gyampo et al, 2017).…”

Political vigilantism in Ghana: Motives, membership, and financing

“…Contributing to the discourse on political vigilantism in Ghana, various researchers have investigated the contradictory roles of the youth as active players in political development and concurrent perpetuators of political violence (Abdallah & Osei‐Afful, 2012), as well as the complex relationship between political vigilantism and democratic elections, security agencies, and civil society (Edu‐Afful & Allotey‐Pappoe, 2016). Other scholars, such as Gyampo and others (2017), Owusu Kyei and Berckmoes (2020), and Ashiabi (2021), have focused on the impact of political vigilantism on Ghana's democratic evolution, while Bekoe and Burchard (2021) and Asamoah (2020) have offered policy prescriptions against the phenomenon.…”

Predictors of citizens' trust in public leadership in Ghana: a comparison between the president, MPs and MMDCEs

“…Article 240 of the constitution and the Local Government Act of 1993 provide a framework for the operation of the local government structure in Ghana (Agomor et al ., 2020; Appiah-Agyekum et al ., 2013; Brierley and Ofosu, 2014; Daddieh, 2009). The local government structure of Ghana consists of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) headed by chief executives (MMDCEs) appointed by the president (Agomor et al ., 2019; Owusu, 2004).…”