President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that the Anti-LGBTQI bill would be introduced as a state-sponsored bill in parliament.
He announced that in consultation with the Speaker of Parliament, the anti-LGBT bill be reintroduced in Parliament as a Government-sponsored bill rather than a bill sponsored by private members.
According to President Mahama, as a Christian, he upholds the values that only two genders exist man and woman and that marriage is between a man and woman.
Speaking during his fellowship with the Clergy at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, February 28, 2025, he stated, “I as a Christian, uphold the values that only two genders exist as man and woman and that the marriage is between a man and woman.
“I have spoken with the Speaker so that a renewal of the expired Proper Family Values Bill should be a bill that is introduced by the government rather than as a private member motion”, he added.
President Mahama added, “It is my hope that that consultation will see a renewed proper Family Values Bill. I believe that my leadership should be a reflection of the people that I govern and upon this, I stand firm”.
On Tuesday, January 14, President Mahama in a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference hinted at his reluctance to legislate the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
John Mahama stated, “For the bill to have broader legitimacy and a higher chance of success, it should ideally come with government backing”.
“We won’t need a bill to enforce our family values, and that’s why I think more than even the Family Values Bill, it’s us agreeing on a curriculum that inculcates these values into our children as they’re growing up so that we don’t need to legislate it”, he added.
Meanwhile, Alban Bagbin the Speaker of Parliament has boldly declared that the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill will be passed this year.
According to Alban Bagbin, it was unconstitutional for former president Akufo-Addo to refuse to assent to the bill.
He further added that Nobody should joke with me when it comes to LGBTQ, as he can lose his life because of that.
Speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire on January 26, 2025, Bagbin stated, “The LGBTQ bill was passed by Parliament, the former president refused to assent to it, which was unconstitutional. There is no law allowing the president to refuse or fail to assent to a bill passed by Parliament.
“Parliament is the authority for passing laws, not any other person, not the president. That decision was wrong, and all of you punished him for that”, he added.
He added, “I am going to write to the new Attorney General and Minister for Justice for his comments for us to resend it to the new president for his assent. So it is not going to take time it will be passed this year. It is anti-God…Nobody should joke with me when it comes to that area. I can lose my life because of that”.
“This will not take time. It will be passed this year. It is ungodly, and nobody should joke with me on this”, he stated.
The Supreme Court had previously dismissed a case brought by two petitioners, Amanda Odoi and Enrich at Sky, who sought to block the bill from reaching the president’s desk for assent. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds, with the court ruling that the petitioners had not presented a compelling enough case to prevent the bill from being discussed in Parliament.
The court’s decision effectively cleared any legal barriers to the reintroduction of the bill in the 9th Parliament, signalling that the issue of LGBTQ+ rights will continue to be a significant political topic in Ghana.
Meanwhile, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the member of Parliament for Assin South, has revealed the proponents of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill have reintroduced it to Parliament.
According to John Ntim Fordjour, the bill has been reintroduced for the speedy passage of the bill so that John Mahama can assent to it.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, February 27, Ntim Fordjour stated, “Myself, Sam George, Hon Bedzrah, Hon Alhassan Tampuli, Hon Abdul Kabiru, Hon Ekow Vincent—we have reintroduced it and so it is to support the speedy passage of the bill so that he can assent to it. It has been admitted. It has been received and so the processes are going to be set in motion”.
“But it is the same bill so it is not expected that it is going to delay at all. The chiefs, our imams, our clergymen, and the coalition who supported us are still supporting us strongly”, he added.
The member of parliament added, “The speaker is in support and therefore it is expected that it will be passed quickly”.
