Mr Delali Kwasi Brempong, the parliamentary candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election has said mafias and kingpins within the two main political parties are those controlling the various party-affiliated vigilante groups rather than the parties themselves.

According to him, if the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces do not put in place measures to clamp down on these groups, “it will be disastrous” for the country during future elections.

“From what I saw around my house during the by-election, if the police and the military do not step in to stop these guys, we are finished,” Mr Delali Brempong told the Commission of Inquiry set up by the president to probe the by-election violence when he testified before the Commission on Wednesday, 20 February 2019.

“I don’t believe the NDC or the NPP control vigilante groups, but rather, certain mafias control these groups,” the pharmacist said in response to a question about whether he had heard that these groups were owned by the two main political parties in the country.

Vigilante groups like the Invincible Forces and Delta Forces have been linked to the NPP while The Hawks, Lions and Dragons have been linked to the NDC.

There have been calls from civil society organisations, the police, the media, religious leaders and Ghanaians for the vigilante groups to be disbanded but such calls have yielded no fruit.