President John Dramani Mahama has said that despite the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, a few issued has been raised.
According to John Mahama, the passage of the anti-LGBTQI Bill by Parliament won’t be a law yet, as a few procedural hurdles that must be resolved before it reaches his desk for assent.
Speaking during a Chatham House interview on Monday, June 1, as part of his trip to the United Kingdom, President Mahama stated, “Parliament has been considering it, and it was supposed to have been passed last week. There have been a few issues raised.
“One, that there wasn’t a quorum when it was passed. That’s an issue that has come up. And then, two, there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage.
“I just got some communication that the Speaker was reading a statement to address the issue of the lapses in the passage of the Bill. And so, like I said, when I was the opposition leader, the President had a number of options in this matter. It must come for assent.
“And so, once the President gets it, you go through it, because you are not part of the discussion in Parliament. And so, the legal representative, the legal counsel in the Presidency and the Attorney General would sit on it, because it was a private member’s motion. This was not a government bill.
“And so, we’ll look at it and make sure that everything is in order before the President is advised to assent”.
He added, “The President has another option if there are some things that he thinks are a problem. He can refer it to the Council of State for advice.
The Council of State is an advisory body to the President. And so, they’ll take a look at it and then they’ll advise the President. And if there are issues — substantial issues that are raised — the President would return the Bill to Parliament, indicating exactly what the issues are.
And so, there’s still quite a while to go before that Bill becomes law”.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has accused the government and the ruling National Democratic Congress of weakening the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ Bill.
According to the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the anti-LGBTQ Bill has been weakened through extensive amendments before its passage by Parliament last week.
Speaking at a media briefing in Parliament, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the member of Parliament for Assin South, questioned why the NDC, which previously urged former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to assent to the bill, has now significantly altered it under President Mahama.
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, addressing the press conference on Monday, June 1, stated, “22 original provisions of the bill had to be deleted, redrafted and 31 insertions made before President Mahama would have it, desire it, and sign it. Was that the promise? Was the promise to come and dilute the bill before he signs?
“President Mahama promised that he would sign the 2024 Bill. He didn’t promise to sign an amended, deleted, mutilated, and surgically bastardised Bill. He didn’t promise he would sign another version of that, and that is the reason why, even when he promised he was bringing his own version of the bill, til date he has not brought it.
Because he is perhaps waiting for the 2024 bill. So what is so difficult in parliament giving that old one to him?
“You all remember, the promise was clear: ‘Vote for me, and I will come and sign it, vote NPP out because they won’t sign it. NDC will come and sign it’. They did not say NDC will come and amend it. That is a scam, and that is a breach of trust. That is hypocrisy, and that is deception,” he said.
His comments follow Parliament on Friday, May 30, passing the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, with several amendments.
Under the new bill, a person who provides legal advice or legal representation to persons identified as LGBTQ+ is exempt from sanctions.
Also, Journalists and media organisations reporting on LGBTQ+ issues in the course of their professional duties are also protected.
It further exempted medical professionals, including those providing surgical, psychological and counselling services to LGBTQ+ persons, from punishment.
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The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill will be reviewed by the Attorney General and legal advisers before any presidential assent-President @JDMahama pic.twitter.com/2V4hHceywS
— Popo🇰🇼🇬🇭 (@Popony_J) June 1, 2026
