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The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has outlined the conditions under which he would consider signing the anti-LGBTQI bill if he is elected president. He emphasised that his decision to sign the bill would be contingent on its specific contents.
In an interview with BBC Africa on Wednesday, 4th December, Mahama stated that, “It is not an anti-LGBTQI Bill, it is a Family Values Bill. It was approved unanimously by our parliament. [LGBTQI] is against our African culture, it is against our religious faith, but I think we must look at the Bill and the president must indicate what he finds wrong with that bill and send it back to Parliament or alternatively he must send it to the Council of State and get the Council of State’s advice.”
When questioned whether he would have signed the Bill into law had he been president when it was passed by Parliament, Mahama indicated, “That is what I would have done.”
When asked directly if he would sign the bill into law if elected president, Mahama clarified that his decision would hinge on the specific provisions outlined in the bill.
“It depends on what is in the bill.” He said
Currently, two lawsuits are before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the recently passed "Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill" by Parliament.
Richard Dela Sky, a prominent legal practitioner, is contesting the legality of the bill, arguing that it infringes upon multiple provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including Articles 33(5), 12(1) and (2), 15(1), 17(1) and (2), 18(2), and 21(1)(a)(b)(d) and (e). Sky is seeking eight reliefs, one of which requests a declaration that the Speaker of Parliament violated Article 108(a)(ii) by allowing the passage of a bill that imposes a charge on the Consolidated Fund or other public funds of Ghana.
In a separate case, Dr. Amanda Odoi has raised objections to specific provisions within the bill. She is requesting a restraining order to prevent the Speaker of Parliament, the Attorney-General, and the Clerk of Parliament from forwarding the bill to President Akufo-Addo for assent.
The "Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill" was proposed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George, along with several other MPs, including some from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The bill aims to criminalise certain LGBTQI+ activities in Ghana and has sparked significant debate across the country. It was introduced in Parliament in 2021 and has since been passed by the legislative body, though it now faces legal challenges and public scrutiny.