– Unleashes ‘Lions Of NPP’ Vigilante Group In Shocking Return To Dark Days Of Political Violence
By Gifty Boateng
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has resurrected the very monster it once vowed to destroy, inaugurating a new vigilante group called ‘Lions of NPP’ in the Upper East Region a move that directly contradicts the party’s own 2019 legislation banning political militias.
The 42-member youth group, drawn from constituencies across the region, was launched under the motto ‘Be bold to do the right thing’ a chilling echo of the violent Delta Force, Invisible Forces, and Kandahar Boys that terrorised the nation during the NPP’s previous tenure.
The group’s leadership has been brutally honest about its purpose: protection of the party during the 2028 general election and defence against political opponents. But for Ghanaians who remember the dark days of court invasions, attacks on state institutions, and street violence, the resurrection of political vigilantism is a terrifying step backwards.
Speaking shortly after the inauguration, group leader Adure Anthony offered a chilling justification for the formation of the Lions of NPP, citing the events of the 2024 elections as the catalyst.
“In this recent election, I witnessed it. You see, our security numbers are very few as compared to the voters. So sometimes you need this kind of private security or political parties to also help in dealing with the security situation during elections,” Anthony declared.
But it was his next statement that sent alarm bells ringing across the country: “I want other groups to be created in other regions. And let’s not forget, if we get this kind of group, it will prevent the opposition party from harassing other parties.”
Anthony framed the group as complementary to state law enforcement, describing it as “civil reinforcement” intended to close operational gaps. But his analogy was deeply troubling: “If they are going to sleep at the end of the day, you lock your door. It’s security. So this is also security to protect the party, right? To protect the party from misconduct or those who are in the party.”
The formation of the Lions of NPP has resurrected painful memories of the vigilante violence that plagued Ghana during the Akufo-Addo administration.
Under the NPP government, the party’s militia groups – including Delta Force, Invisible Forces, and Kandahar Boys became synonymous with chaos, storming courts, attacking party executives, and publicly embarrassing the administration with their brazen lawlessness.
One of the most infamous incidents saw Delta Force storm a court in Kumasi to free their members standing trial, forcing a pregnant judge to flee for her life. The party’s national headquarters at Asylum Down became a scene of violent confrontation as militia groups attacked members and executives who crossed the flagbearer’s team.
In 2019, the NPP government passed the Vigilante and Other Offences Bill, disbanding these groups and promising a new era of political decorum. Now, the party appears to have completely abandoned that commitment.
The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed the electoral significance of the Lions of NPP, with Regional Communications Officer Jonathan Abdallah Salifu delivering a scathing rebuke.
“What I know is that vigilantism doesn’t win elections in Ghana anymore. Elections are not won by going around with macho men or placing them at polling stations. That will neither scare people nor stop them from exercising their constitutional right to vote,” Salifu declared.
He cited the 2024 election results as conclusive evidence that political security groups cannot override the will of voters: “When Ghanaians were unhappy with them in 2024, they gave us a margin of about 1.7 million votes. They could have deployed millions of macho men to polling stations and we would still have defeated them by the same margin.”
Salifu also reminded the NPP of Ghana’s legal framework prohibiting political parties from forming vigilante groups, though he stopped short of accusing the Lions of NPP of breaching the law for now.
“We are consulting our party leadership. Whatever advice we receive, we will follow. If we are advised to petition the police or any other state institution, we will do so,” he stated.