Michael Okyere Baafi, the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee, has alleged that many influential pastors have turned into presidential advisers.
According to Okyere Baafi, some members of the clergy who opposed the Akufo-Addo government have gone quiet on important national matters.
He claimed that high-profile pastors have assumed roles as advisers to the presidency, which is influencing their reluctance to speak openly.
Michael Okyere Baafi accused the clergy of showing double standards, stressing that religious leaders are expected to remain impartial and consistent, urging them to remain fair and principled in their commentary on national issues.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on April 1, 2026, Okyere Baafi claimed, “Many influential pastors have turned into presidential advisers. Those who once portrayed themselves as saints and opposed Akufo-Addo are now surprisingly silent. This behaviour is hypocritical. Mahama’s government has been in power for two years now, and soon the NDC will hold elections, leading to shifts in allegiance.
“Clergy have much to teach us, so we must respect Ghanaians. They should remain neutral, expressing their views on what is good and what is bad,” he stated.
Also, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, the Member of Parliament for Assin South, has fired shots at President John Dramani Mahama over his recent comments on the passage of the anti LGBTQ+ bill.
According to Rev John Ntim Fordjour, President Mahama and the NDC have relegated LGBTQ concerns to the bottom of their priority list after deceiving Pastors, Muslim Clerics, Traditional Rulers and the entire country.
In a post shared on his X page on March 31, 2026, Ntim Fordjour wrote, “Unbelievable! Where are the Ecumenical bodies and CSOs who spat fire and brimstone in 2024 over LGBTQ issues against President Akufo-Addo?
President Mahama and the NDC have relegated LGBTQ concerns to the bottom of their priority list after deceiving Pastors, Muslim Clerics, Traditional Rulers and the entire country into thinking they (Mahama, NDC) would preserve our values against LGBTQ when power is entrusted to them.
Today, he is distancing himself from the bill and claiming it’s no longer important.
After winning power and distributing LGBTQ teacher manuals to schools, he thinks our values no longer matter.
This indeed is another Mahama scam”.
His comments come on the heels of President John Dramani Mahama’s statement that Ghana is still grappling with the provisions of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter, which is his government’s main focus and not the Anti-LGBTQ Bill.
According to John Mahama, the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, while important, is not Ghana’s most urgent concern at this time.
Speaking during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, March 30, Mahama stated, “We are still grappling with the provisions of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter”.
“While there are strong and differing views within our society, we believe that issues must be addressed through democratic processes, our core values, dialogue, and the rule of law,” he said.
Earlier, President John Mahama called on international partners to respect Ghana’s position on LGBTQ issues.
Mahama stressed that public policy is shaped by the country’s legal traditions, cultural values, and societal consensus.
According to John Mahama, Ghana’s democratic processes are actively at work to ensure that any outcome of the anti-LGBTQ bill reflects the views of the people.
President Mahama made these known when he received the ‘International Statesperson Award’ from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.