A Theoretical Examination of Contributing Factors to the Proliferation of Political Vigilantism: Evidence from Ghana.


Daniel Owusu Nkrumah, University of Saskatchewan

Political vigilantism has been a significant issue in many parts of the world. It has undermined the rule of law and democratic processes in Ghana. Political vigilantism is understood as actions taken by individuals and/or quasi-institutions other than state officials which could either be extralegal or illegal mostly typified by violence in the political field. Among these actions are poster vandalism, rally disruption, vote fraud, voter intimidation, property destruction, physical violence, seizure of public property, and sponsoring such activities. Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, a major anomaly in Ghana’s political environment has been the disturbing atmosphere of the country before, during, and after elections orchestrated by political vigilantes. The New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress being the two major political parties have gained notoriety for political vigilante activities. Ghana has been affected by political vigilantism, which is considered a major obstacle to political development in the Fourth Republic. This study uses an institutional performance-focused theoretical framework comprising the theories of structuration, legitimacy, institutional failure, and social learning to test the significance of the identified factors contributing to the prevalence of political vigilantism. The study employs a mainly qualitative methodology to answer the research question: “Does the theoretical framework explain the contributing factors of political vigilantism in Ghana?” In total eighteen (18) interviews were conducted virtually through Zoom and phone calls. Participants were selected from academics, politicians, civil servants, media personnel, and criminal justice agents being eighteen (18) years or older who had a minimum of high school education. These interviews were complemented by one hundred and one media reports on political vigilantism. The media reports were selected from Myjoyonline, Modern Ghana, GhanaWeb, and Peace FM online platforms based on their prominence and availability on the internet. The findings indicate that key state institutions have failed to fulfill their constitutional mandates and that political interference has motivated the spread of vigilante activities in Ghana. The results further suggest that a combination of factors, including unemployment, poverty, high illiteracy rates, and politicians’ desire for power, has sustained political vigilantism. The study recommends that allowing institutions such as the electoral commission and criminal justice agencies to work independently without political influence will reduce the prevalence of political vigilantism, which has marred the beauty of Ghanaian developing democracy. Research participants further suggested the need for a constitutional review to limit the appointing authorities of the president in certain key state institutions. Like the electoral commissioner and chief justice, the inspector general of police should have a specified tenure and not be dependent on which political party is in power. Finally, it was suggested that the activities of the mass media and religious bodies should be regulated to prevent them from being political. This study contributes to our understanding of political vigilantism and its implications for theory, policy, laws, and further research. It has been observed that structural and agency factors and the principles of the rule of law influence both institutional legitimacy and its performance. In conclusion, without institutional independence and strict adherence to the rule of law, political vigilantism will continue to be a major issue in Ghana’s political development.

This paper will be presented at the following session: