The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has expressed surprise at the sudden passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill—commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill—saying he did not anticipate that the legislation would reach final approval at that stage of proceedings.
According to him, the development, which occurred on May 29, came as a shock because he expected Parliament to still be at the consideration stage of the bill, not its final passage.
“It was even a surprise to me because I thought we were going to start consideration of the bill. This is such a critical bill which must be passed with consensus. I have asked the leaders of both sides to meet me,” he stated.
Following the development, Speaker Bagbin has summoned both the Majority and Minority leadership for urgent consultations, amid growing concerns over procedural compliance and quorum issues surrounding the passage of the bill.
The Speaker presided over proceedings through his deputy, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, when the bill was read for the third time and passed.
Presidency Flags Procedural Concerns
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has also weighed in, noting that concerns have been raised about whether Parliament met quorum requirements and followed due process in passing the legislation.
Speaking during a Chatham House interview in London on Monday, June 1, as part of his official trip to the United Kingdom, President Mahama confirmed that he had received communication indicating that the Speaker was already addressing the procedural issues.
He described the bill as one of the most politically sensitive in recent times, attracting national and international attention.
“The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been a bill that has probably evoked the most interest in Ghana, it shows how important issues of family values are. It is not the only reason Ghana is in the news. It has been one,” he said.
He further noted that Parliament had been expected to complete work on the bill earlier, but complications emerged during the process.
“One, that there wasn’t a quorum when it was passed. That’s an issue that has come up. And then, two, there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage.”
President Mahama explained that, as the bill was a private member’s motion, the Presidency would rely on legal counsel and the Attorney General to assess it before any decision on assent.
“We’ll look at it and make sure that everything is in order before the President is advised to assent,” he stated.
He added that the President has constitutional options, including referring the bill to the Council of State or returning it to Parliament if substantial issues are identified.
Parliament Divided Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Amendments
The bill, passed after its second reading on Thursday, May 28 and final approval on Friday, May 29, 2026, has triggered sharp divisions within Parliament, particularly over new amendments to Clause 9.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, defended the amendments, arguing they were designed to narrowly define exemptions to ensure that professional services are not criminalized.
The revised clause exempts legal practitioners, journalists, media houses, and medical or psychological professionals providing services in the normal course of their work.
However, the Minority strongly opposed the changes, arguing they significantly dilute the intent of the original legislation.
Minority MPs including Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh and John Ntim Fordjour rejected the amendments, insisting they fundamentally alter the bill’s scope.
“The new bill we wanted Akufo-Addo to pass is now exempting all these people under this clause including NGOs, academic publications for science and medical opinions, the report of news and current affairs by the media house… which is not the same bill you asked Akufo-Addo to sign,” Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh argued.
John Ntim Fordjour also warned that the exemptions raise serious concerns about the integrity of the legislation.
“These are the people sponsoring, supporting… making these activities rather attractive behind the scenes and even sometimes overtly. And so if I find it highly problematic, any attempt by this house to push any of these exceptions in, we will resist it…”
Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Political Limbo
With Speaker Bagbin engaging leadership in emergency consultations and the Presidency reviewing procedural complaints, the future of the controversial legislation remains uncertain as Parliament has declared the bill passed but questions over quorum, procedure, and the scope of amendments are expected to dominate legal and political debates.
