News:
April 24, 2026
Mr. John Ntim Fordjour, one of the co-sponsors of Ghana’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, has warned that the proposed legislation is caught in a “push and pull” dynamic – and any further delay could mean it never gets passed or assented to by President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking during a public engagement with stakeholders as parliament’s committee reviews the re-introduced bill, the Assin Central lawmaker said failure to act swiftly could allow foreign cultural influences – including those that accept homosexuality and lesbianism – to advance their own agenda.
“If you delay with it, the re-introduced bill will not pass and would not be assented to by President Mahama,” Fordjour warned.
Bill ‘Vanished’ from Order Paper
Fordjour recalled that the bill, which was re-introduced in September last year, mysteriously disappeared from the Order Paper of Parliament the very next day.
He expressed surprise that the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government – which as the then-minority in the ninth Parliament had shown strong interest in the bill – is now playing what he called a “lackadaisical” role, despite now holding a super majority.
“But for our press conference seven months down the line, they would not have re-introduced it in the Order Paper of the House,” he lamented.
Government ‘Not Prepared’ to Consider Bill
Fordjour noted that the bill has now spent three months before the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee. Yet, he said, the committee showed little readiness to consider it – especially after President John Mahama stated that the bill was not his priority, a stance amplified by government spokesperson Felix Ofosu Kwakye.
“They are looking for their basic needs. The LGBTQ+ issue is not the priority of Ghanaians,” Fordjour quoted the government’s position.
He added that if religious leaders – pastors, church elders, and Islamic leaders – had not raised concerns, the re-introduced bill “would have died naturally” with no one mentioning it.
‘Ghanaians Want This Law’
The lawmaker emphasized that Ghanaians have made their position clear: they support the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
“What Ghanaians are saying is that if we had not stood up in support of it, the bill would have ended in our bedrooms,” he said.
He called for urgency, noting that other bills under the current government have been fast-tracked. “By close of day on Thursday, April 23, 2026, we should conclude work on it. It’s not a new bill.”
Fordjour pointed out that over 33 fresh bills introduced since January 2025 under certificates of urgency were passed on the same day. In contrast, he said, the LGBTQ+ bill has spent three years without passage.
“When we re-open, if this is a priority bill of the President, the Speaker of Parliament, and Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga – with their two-thirds majority – they should work on it.”
‘Fast-Track the Bill When Parliament Resumes’
Fordjour argued that Ghanaians have already accepted the bill as a law they want. He reminded President Mahama that he used the issue during the 2024 election campaign, and that Ghanaians voted for him partly on that promise.
“President Mahama said he would give his assent. Ghanaians have voted for you now, John Dramani Mahama – we should pass it with speed,” he said.
He urged that when Parliament resumes, the bill should be fast-tracked into a second reading, with waivers applied as has been done for other bills within a day or two.
“We should pass this re-introduced bill,” he concluded.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com