The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, Mrs Jean Mensa, has appealed to political parties in the country to disband all vigilante groups affiliated to them.

Mrs Mensa, who appeared before a Commission of Inquiry tasked to probe the gun violence associated with the recently-held Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, said: “Our parties must do away with their vigilantism and the citizens must condemn it.”

Some heavily-armed operatives shot and wounded supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the private residence of the party’s candidate about an hour into the by-election on Thursday, 31 January 2019.

Some civilians were also beaten up, including a Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Sam George. He was slapped in the melee in the full glare of some police officers.

The gun violence disrupted the voting process at the La-Bawaleshie JHS polling station.

Even though the Minister of state in charge of National Security at the presidency, Mr Bryan Acheampong had said the gunmen were national security operatives, the NDC maintains that the masked men were vigilantes associated with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who were empowered to go and cause mayhem.