No vigilantes in NDC – Anyidoho

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has no para-security forces or groups, its deputy general secretary Koku Anyidoho has said.

His reaction comes amid renewed calls for a ban on party-affiliated vigilante groups in the country. Inspector General of Police John Kudalor had previously promised to outlaw such associations in the country ahead of elections this year. At the National Police Command conference on Friday June 24, the Minister for the Interior, Mr Prosper Bani, added his voice to such calls by calling for the banning of such politically-aligned groupings.

Most of these perceived vigilante groups, notably Bolga Bull Dogs, Bamba Boys, Azorka Boys, Invincible Forces, Kandahar Boys, and Taliban, belong to the two main parties – the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

But speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM Monday June 27, Mr Anyidoho denied the existence of vigilantes in the NDC.

“There is no vigilante group in the NDC. The police have the right to disband vigilante groups; that is their responsibility. If the IGP or Interior Minister wishes to disband vigilante groups, then he is justified. It is well within their operational jurisdiction to disband vigilante groups. But the question is, does the NDC have any vigilante group? And the answer is: ‘No, we don’t have any vigilante group.’”

He debunked assertions that the party’s Azorka Boys constituted a vigilante presence, saying they were only supporters of the NDC’s northern regional chairman, Sofo Azorka, wondering: “What is wrong about that? But if the IGP can identify any vigilante groups in the NDC [that] they want to banish, no problem. But the truth is that we don’t have any vigilante groups”.

Asked if the numerous well-built young men at the party’s premises were thugs of the NDC, Mr Anyidoho answered in the negative, explaining that they are “party boys”, who “while away the time” at the party’s headquarters…and are “working for the party”, but did not carry weapons. “They are just there. Some of them have quite bulgy shoulders, who remain there and say they want to work for the party,” the former press secretary to late President John Atta Mills added. “No one has contracted them, they come and sit down there, and they are just there…around the place.”

Mr Anyidoho, however, pointed out that in the event of a “major programme”, such as the visit of a dignitary to the party headquarters, where extra hands would be needed to beef up security, “we call the police”.

“And that is how it ought to be. But on a daily basis, we cannot make the policeman the party headquarters,” Mr Anyidoho submitted.