A fresh controversy has erupted in the Parliament of Ghana over the status of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
While the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears hesitant about reintroducing the Bill for passage, some members of the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government — who have been accused of failing to secure Presidential Assent before the last Parliament dissolved — are demanding its immediate reintroduction and swift passage.
The matter gained prominence on the floor of the House on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, when the First Deputy Minority Whip, Hon. Habib Iddrisu, raised concerns over the removal of the Bill from the Order Paper. He noted that it had been advertised on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, when Parliament resumed sittings for the Third Meeting of the First Session, but was conspicuously missing the following day.
Responding to the concern, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, justified the Bill’s exclusion, arguing that it could not be reconsidered by the current Parliament since it had already been passed by the previous one but never assented to by the President.
“The Constitution says that if a bill is not passed and the life of Parliament expires, then it lapses. But this one was passed. We have passed it, and it is left with the assent,” Hon. Ayariga explained.
However, Minority Leader, Osahene Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, sharply disagreed with the Majority Leader’s interpretation and accused the governing NDC of backtracking on a cause they championed while in opposition.
“You forced LGBTQ on the throat of the Akufo-Addo government, and today you don’t want LGBTQ? You would want it! Mubɛpɛ paa, mubɛpɛ papapa!” he exclaimed in Akan, meaning, “You will surely want it.”
Adding to the tension, the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Forjour, who was one of the few members of the then-governing NPP who openly supported the Bill, held a press conference urging the current Majority Leader to ensure the Bill’s reinstatement on the Order Paper.
He further called on the Mahama-led administration to fulfill its earlier promises of supporting the Bill’s swift passage and Presidential Assent.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
