Political vigilante groups play a key role in securing electoral victory for their parties. But they are also key agents in pushing their parties to opposition.

Vigilante groups, particularly those belonging to the party that won elections have over the years, taken the laws into their own hands, forcibly ejected officials of previous administration from their apartments and physically assaulted them, as well as engaged in seizures of public property and assets in the custody of public officials in an uncoordinated manner.

These acts have fuelled polarization in our body politic and undermined the nation's drive towards democratic maturity.

They were largely restrained and limited to party activities until in 2016 when hell broke loose.

Delta Force and Invincible Forces, vigilante groups associated with the governing New Patriotic Party went on a rampage, destroying public properties and attacking appointees of the president.

It was reported that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also formed a vigilante group known as "The Hawks."

There are also media reports on the formation of additional groups such as "The Lions" and the "The Dragons" by the NDC.

Here are the 3 vigilante attacks that happened in 2018.

Boys

All managers of the Tamale Teaching Hospital have been sacked out of their offices by members of the NPP vigilante group Kandahar Boys.

Earlier, the group locked up the office of the chief executive of the facility Dr David Zaawumya Kolbila after they allegedly assaulted and walked him out of the office.

A member of the Kandahar boys, Razak justified their actions and said they took the action because residents of Tamale are displeased with the management style of Dr. Kolbila hence their actions.

This is not the first time the group is attacking a health institution in the region.

In May 2018, the Northern Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Quarshie fled from his office to an unknown destination for over a month now, after the group accused him of unnecessary meddling in the affairs of other staff.

Delta Force on rampage

Members of Delta Force, a vigilante group associated with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) caused mayhem at Tafo Pankrono in the Ashanti Region, when they disrupted a meeting called by the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Dr. Anthony Osei Akoto.

The men allegedly disrupted the meeting to register their displeasure over failed promises.

The members then manhandled persons who were present at the meeting, before attempting to also attack Dr. Akoto Osei.

The MP who doubles as the Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation was, however, lucky to be whisked away, but that did not stop the macho men from destroying items worth thousands of cedis.

Hak-Musah Tasure, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) hierarchy has failed on its promises to provide them with jobs.

NDC Hawks attack Prof. Alabi

In November, the Hawks physically attacked members of the Joshua Alabi Campaign Team, the Ashanti Regional chairman and regional secretary of the party.

Members of the Campaign Team of Joshua Alabi, presidential hopeful of the opposition NDC, said the Hawks were stalking them.

According to them, the well-built NDC hoodlums have been moving round campaign meeting grounds of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies to harass organisers of the meeting and some members of the party, who are believed to be loyal to Prof Alabi.

One of such incidents was said to have occurred in the Kpone-Katamanso District of the Greater Accra Region last Saturday where some members of the Hawks attacked former Member of Parliament (MP) for La Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale, Victor Kojogah Adawudu and some coordinators of Joshua Alabi Campaign Team after a meeting with delegates.