By Daniel Bampoe
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has officially confirmed that the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, expired with the 8th Parliament.
His clarification puts to rest months of confusion, political accusations, and public uncertainty surrounding the true status of the bill — which has dominated Ghana’s political and moral debate for years.
Speaking to Members of Parliament during a sitting on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin explained that all unfinished business from the 8th Parliament automatically came to an end with the dissolution of that House, in accordance with parliamentary procedure.
“The 8th Parliament is history. So are all the businesses that were pending in the 8th Parliament. They all ended with the 8th Parliament,” he said.
He further clarified that while the bill was reintroduced in the 9th Parliament as a private member’s initiative, the new Mahama administration had expressed interest in transforming it into a government-sponsored (public) bill — a move he personally opposed.
“This is an initiative of our people in the House,” Bagbin stated, revealing that he had made his disagreement known to President John Dramani Mahama.
According to the Speaker, the bill’s reintroduction in the 9th Parliament was part of efforts to ensure continuity of the legislative process.
However, he insisted that parliamentary procedures must be respected before any re-laying or debate could occur.
“When it was put on the order paper, I curated it because you haven’t heard from me according to the standing orders,” he said. “That will be done before it’s laid before the House.”
Despite procedural delays, Bagbin expressed optimism that the bill would move swiftly through Parliament once reintroduced, citing bipartisan support.
“A lot of work has already been done,” he said. “We think it’s going to have a smooth process in the House because both sides now support it. His Excellency the President has given an indication that he’s ready and willing to assent to it once passed.”
The Speaker’s statement comes amid mounting political controversy over the fate of the bill, which was a central campaign issue in the 2024 general elections.
Then opposition leader John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) had championed the bill, promising to ensure its passage as a demonstration of their commitment to Ghanaian cultural and religious values.
However, after Mahama’s victory, his administration’s handling of the bill has faced criticism and confusion.
Earlier this year, the President declared that the bill had “expired with the previous Parliament,” promising to reintroduce it officially — a pledge yet to be fulfilled.
The controversy deepened when, earlier in October, ten Members of Parliament attempted to re-lay the bill after what they described as “prolonged government inaction.”
The bill appeared briefly on Parliament’s Order Paper on October 20, 2025, only to mysteriously disappear the next day without explanation.
This triggered outrage across the House, with Minority MPs accusing the Majority of bowing to international pressure.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin publicly accused the government of “playing games with the emotions of Ghanaians,” calling the disappearance of the bill “a betrayal of trust.”
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga’s subsequent comments — suggesting the bill did not need re-laying since it had already been passed by the previous Parliament — only fueled further confusion.
His statement directly contradicted President Mahama’s earlier claim and now stands refuted by Speaker Bagbin’s confirmation that the bill indeed died with the 8th Parliament.
