Copyright ghanaguardian
Confusion, contradiction, and political finger-pointing have once again gripped Parliament over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. What was once the ruling National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) moral campaign weapon in the 2024 general elections has now become a political embarrassment for the Mahama-led government, as the Majority appears to be backing away from a bill they once championed. From Campaign Promise To Political Puzzle The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill was one of the most heated political and moral topics leading to the 2024 elections. Then opposition leader John Dramani Mahama capitalised on the debate, positioning himself as the defender of Ghanaian cultural and religious values. He openly declared that his government would “swiftly” give effect to the bill once elected. At the time, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government were under intense pressure from religious groups and conservative Ghanaians to sign the bill into law after it was passed by Parliament. However, Akufo-Addo withheld his assent, citing constitutional and human rights concerns raised through multiple legal challenges. The NPP’s failure to act decisively on the issue was heavily exploited by Mahama and the NDC during the campaign. The promise to enact the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill became one of Mahama’s moral trump cards that contributed significantly to his 2024 electoral victory. Mahama’s U-Turn And Parliament’s Confusion Upon assuming office, President Mahama shocked many of his supporters when, on January 14, 2025, he declared that the bill had “expired with the previous Parliament.” He pledged that his government would reintroduce it as an official government-sponsored bill. However, ten months later, that promise remains unfulfilled. On October 20, 2025, a group of ten Members of Parliament took it upon themselves to re-lay the bill in Parliament after what they described as “endless waiting” for the government to act. The next day, the bill appeared in Parliament’s Order Paper for consideration. But in a dramatic twist, it mysteriously vanished from the list of business the following day—October 21, 2025—without any official explanation. Parliament In Turmoil The sudden disappearance of the bill sparked outrage across the chamber. Habib Iddrisu, a Minority deputy chief whip, voiced frustration on the floor of Parliament, describing the development as “an unacceptable procedural anomaly.” “Mr. Speaker, we cannot have bills advertised on the Order Paper yesterday and today the same bills are missing without explanation,” he fumed. “Neither the sponsors nor the leadership of the Minority were informed of any withdrawal.” His concerns were echoed by several MPs who accused the Majority of deliberately removing the bill to avoid backlash from international partners and donors. Majority Leader’s Contradictory Position Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga added to the confusion when he declared that there was no need to re-lay the bill since it had already been passed by the previous Parliament. According to him, the document merely awaited presidential assent. This directly contradicted President Mahama’s earlier assertion that the bill had expired with the last Parliament. The inconsistency has led to public disillusionment and accusations of political doublespeak. The contradictions between the President and his own Majority Leader expose a deeper political hesitation within the ruling NDC—caught between appeasing local religious sentiment and maintaining good relations with Western development partners who oppose the bill. Minority Leader Weighs In: “Government Is Playing Games” Adding his voice to the controversy, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin accused the government of “deliberately playing games” with the emotions of Ghanaians. Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Afenyo-Markin described the disappearance of the bill as “a deliberate ploy by the NDC government to abandon its campaign promise.” “This is a betrayal of the trust of Ghanaians,” he said. “Before the 2024 elections, President Mahama and his party built their campaign around the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, portraying themselves as moral crusaders. Now, they are running away from their own words because of international pressure.” Afenyo-Markin challenged the Majority to come clean on the true status of the bill, questioning why both the President and the Majority Leader have issued conflicting statements. “Is the bill alive or dead? Is it at the Presidency or in Parliament? The people of Ghana deserve clarity,” he said. “This government must stop the deception and face the consequences of its own campaign promises.” He further noted that the Minority would not allow the bill to be swept under the carpet, adding, “We will insist that Parliament upholds the will of the people. The bill must be restored to the Order Paper and re-laid immediately.”
