A sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, has suggested that the outcome of the 2024 elections might have been different if legal and procedural obstacles had not prevented former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from assenting to the anti-LBGTQ+ legislation.
The bill, which sought to criminalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ+) activities in Ghana, was passed by the 8th Parliament but remained unsigned before the legislature was dissolved.
Reverend Ntim Fordjour, who represents Assin South in Parliament, disclosed that he, together with nine other Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, has reintroduced the bill for consideration in the current Parliament.
Speaking to Citi News Parliamentary Correspondent, Ayikwei Okine, the former Deputy Minister of Education, said the 2024 election outcome could have been different if former President Akufo-Addo had signed the bill, which enjoyed overwhelming public support at the time.
“Even when I was deputy Minister of Education when my government was in power, I was bold and even when it [Bill] was passed and it suffered legal challenges for which we could not transmit to the President, I was bold even to say that if these obstacles were removed and If [former] President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had been able to sign this bill, it would have served this nation a lot better, and it would have even enhanced the image of my party. And I dare say that the outcome of the election in 2024 would have been different.
“It would have been different; the outcome would have been different. I have said it way before we voted, after we voted, before handing over, and so my position has been consistent and my position has not changed,” he stated.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill seeks to impose stringent restrictions on LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana, including custodial sentences for same-sex relationships, public displays of affection, and the promotion of LGBTQ+ content. It also proposes to ban transgender healthcare, dissolve LGBTQ+ organisations, and criminalise any form of support or sponsorship for such groups.
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed support for the principle behind the bill but maintains that such legislation should be introduced by the government rather than through a private member’s initiative.
If enacted, the bill would significantly expand existing laws against LGBTQ+ activities and introduce tougher penalties for individuals or organisations found to be in violation.
Editor’s Note:
An earlier version of this story carried a headline suggesting that Reverend John Ntim Fordjour directly blamed former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the New Patriotic Party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections for not signing the anti-LBGTQ+ Bill.
This was inaccurate. Reverend Ntim Fordjour’s comments indicated that assenting to the Bill if all the obstacles had been addressed could have improved the party’s image and potentially influenced the election outcome, but he did not expressly attribute the defeat to the former President.
The headline has since been corrected to accurately reflect his remarks. We regret the error.
Ntim Fordjour, Sam George, eight others to re-lay anti-LGBT+ bill in Parliament
