BY Daniel Bampoe
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, has suffered a major setback after Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin effectively halted its final progression and directed Parliament to revisit the manner in which it was passed.
The Speaker’s intervention comes barely days after Parliament approved the legislation following heated debate and the adoption of several controversial amendments that had triggered fierce opposition from some sponsors of the bill and members of the Minority Caucus.
In a strongly-worded statement delivered to Parliament, Speaker Bagbin raised serious concerns about whether parliamentary procedures were fully complied with before the bill was taken through its Third Reading and passed on Friday, May 29, 2026.
His decision has thrown the future of the legislation into uncertainty and reopened a national debate that has dominated Ghanaian politics, religious discourse and legislative business for nearly five years.
Speaker Questions Procedure
Alban Bagbin reminded lawmakers that although he was not the presiding officer during the passage of the bill, he remained the constitutional custodian of Parliament’s institutional integrity, procedural sanctity and dignity.
According to him, concerns had emerged regarding whether Standing Orders governing amendments and final passage of legislation were properly observed.
He specifically cited Orders 170, 171 and 172 of Parliament’s Standing Orders, which require that all amendments adopted during the Consideration Stage be accurately incorporated into the bill and made available to Members before the Third Reading.
The Speaker noted that these provisions exist to ensure that Members fully understand the exact final text of a bill before taking a definitive legislative decision.
Questions have since been raised about whether MPs had access to the fully amended version of the bill before it was passed.
Alban Bagbin stressed that Parliament never suspended these Standing Orders and therefore had a duty to comply with them.
“The legitimacy, credibility and enduring authority of any law depend not only on the objective sought to be achieved, but also on the integrity of the process by which that law is enacted,” he declared.
Minority’s Earlier Objections Vindicated?
The Speaker’s concerns closely mirror objections that had earlier been raised by sponsors of the legislation and members of the Minority Caucus during parliamentary proceedings.
The fiercest resistance came from Assin South MP and co-sponsor of the bill, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, together with Bosome Freho MP Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh.
The two lawmakers strongly opposed a series of amendments introduced during the final stages of consideration.
Among the amendments were provisions exempting lawyers who offer legal representation to persons identified as LGBTQ, journalists and media houses reporting on LGBTQ-related issues, as well as doctors, psychologists, counsellors and healthcare professionals providing services to such individuals.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour argued that the proposed exemptions fundamentally altered the spirit and purpose of the legislation.
He warned that institutions and professionals who had been exempted could become channels through which LGBTQ advocacy and promotion would continue despite the law.
The Minority further questioned why such significant amendments were necessary if the original bill that had been passed by the Eighth Parliament and forwarded to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was considered fit for assent.
Those concerns, initially dismissed by some government MPs, now appear to have gained fresh relevance following the Speaker’s intervention.
NDC’s Position Comes Under Renewed Scrutiny
The latest development has also reignited scrutiny of the National Democratic Congress’ evolving position on the bill.
While in opposition, senior NDC figures consistently accused the Akufo-Addo administration of delaying action on the legislation.
The party repeatedly assured religious leaders and traditional authorities that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill would receive priority attention under an NDC government.
President John Dramani Mahama himself stated shortly after assuming office that the previous bill had expired with the dissolution of Parliament and would have to be reintroduced.
He also indicated that his administration’s position remained that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
However, critics have accused the government of adopting a more cautious approach since assuming power.
Those accusations intensified after the Majority introduced amendments that many supporters of the original bill viewed as weakening key provisions.
Mahama Signals More Hurdles Ahead
Even before Speaker Bagbin’s intervention, President Mahama had indicated that the legislation was far from becoming law.
Speaking at Chatham House in London on June 1, the President disclosed that the bill still faced several layers of scrutiny before it could receive presidential assent.
Mahama pointed to concerns regarding parliamentary quorum and alleged procedural lapses during its passage.
According to him, once the bill reaches the Presidency, legal advisers and the Attorney General would conduct a thorough review before any advice is given regarding assent.
He also made it clear that if significant issues are identified, the President could return the legislation to Parliament.
The President further revealed that he had received information that Speaker Bagbin was already preparing a statement addressing concerns surrounding the bill’s passage.
Bagbin Appeals For Bipartisan Consensus
Beyond procedural questions, the Speaker also expressed concern that the final parliamentary proceedings did not reflect the bipartisan spirit that had characterised the bill since its introduction.
The Committee report that accompanied the legislation stated that the committee had unanimously recommended its passage.
However,Alban Bagbin observed that the debates and divisions that emerged during the final stages of consideration did not reflect that same consensus.
According to him, legislation of such profound national importance should command not only the support of a numerical majority but also broad parliamentary confidence.
“The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has from its inception been presented as a bipartisan legislative initiative,” he noted.
He stressed that what is right must also be done rightly.
For that reason, Alban Bagbin appealed to Parliament to revisit the legislation and repass it in a manner that restores bipartisan ownership, procedural certainty and public confidence.
A New Chapter in a Long Legislative Battle
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in Ghana’s democratic history.
Originally introduced in 2021, the bill passed Parliament in February 2024 but lapsed after legal challenges prevented presidential assent before the dissolution of the Eighth Parliament.
Its reintroduction in the Ninth Parliament was celebrated by supporters as an opportunity to complete unfinished legislative business.
Instead, the latest developments have plunged the bill into yet another period of uncertainty.
