Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has directed that the contentious Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill be presented afresh in the current Parliament, noting that it lapsed with the dissolution of the 8th Parliament.

His ruling brings clarity after days of disagreement among lawmakers, as the Majority Leader maintained that the bill had already been passed and required no reintroduction.

Bagbin, however, insisted that any unfinished matters from the previous Parliament automatically ended with its dissolution.

“The eighth Parliament is history. So are all the businesses that were pending in the eighth Parliament. They all ended with the eighth Parliament and so we have a new Parliament — the ninth Parliament — and therefore what was pending there came to an end and has to be reintroduced,” he said.

The Speaker explained that the bill was sent to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, who chose not to sign it. But, he added, the presidency did not send the bill back to Parliament with an explanation for the refusal, as required by the Constitution.

“They wrote to tell us that they would not assent to it. The only constitutional error they committed was that they didn’t give us reasons why they would not assent to it, and they did not transmit the bill back to us. They imprisoned it there,” he explained.

He noted that the 9th Parliament has now reclaimed the bill, which was first introduced by some MPs with support from traditional, religious, and civil society leaders.

“As you would recall, that’s a private member’s bill, and so members of this House took it up. It went through the whole process as detailed in our Standing Orders. But as it went through the process, the new government indicated that they wanted to take it as a public bill.

"I personally disagreed and made it known to His Excellency the President that this was an initiative of our people — the traditional leaders, the religious leaders, civil society leaders and so we would process it as a private member’s bill.”

The Speaker indicated that before the bill can be laid before the House again, he must perform the procedural duties required by the Standing Orders of Parliament.

"Our rules have given what the speaker is expected to do, which I will do before it can be laid in the House."

Days ago, a group of MPs from both the NDC and NPP brought back the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, officially called the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.

The bill was presented to the House for its first reading on Tuesday, October 21, marking Parliament’s return from recess.

Among the MPs sponsoring the bill are John Ntim Fordjour (Assin South), Samuel Nartey George (Ningo-Prampram), Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra (Ho West), Helen Adjoa Ntoso (Krachi West), Nurideen Muhammed Mummuni (Nalerigu/Gambaga), Vincent Ekow Assafuah (Old Tafo), Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana (Gushegu), Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (Dadekotopon), Dr. Tiah Abdul Kabiru Mahama (Walewale), and Anthony Mmieh (Odotobri).

The proposed law aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and restrict their promotion and advocacy across the country.

Parliament initially approved the bill on February 28, 2024, with backing from both sides of the House.

However, it did not become law, as former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declined to give his assent.

Following the dissolution of the 8th Parliament ahead of the 2024 general election—which brought President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC back to power—the bill automatically expired.

President Mahama has since expressed his support for the overall intent of the legislation but suggested that it should be introduced as a government-sponsored bill rather than one initiated by individual MPs.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South, Rev. Ntim Fordjour, has indicated that Parliament could take less than three months to give a final verdict on the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill (anti-LBGTQ+).

He explained that the current bill before Parliament will not go through extensive consultations and debates, as those processes have already been completed. According to him, the upcoming discussions will resume from where the previous deliberations ended. He made this known while speaking to the media on Wednesday, October 22.

“Within 3 months to 6 months, we should be able to pass this bill. We’ve had bills more complex than this, which even came under a certificate of urgency. So, I don’t see why this should go beyond three months,” Rev. Fordjour said.

The bill was presented to then President Nana Akufo-Addo, who was expected to sign it into law or refuse to assent to it within seven days.

Initially tabled in 2021, the bill stalled following legal challenges at the Supreme Court questioning its constitutionality. Despite the pending case, the sponsors say reintroducing the motion ensures the process remains active.

Meanwhile, the United States Department spokesperson Matthew Miller indicated last year that the US government will restrict foreign aid to Ghana if the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-LGBT Bill, is signed into law.

Engaging the press, Mr Miller said, "If this bill becomes law, it will only have a chilling effect on investment. For instance, in Ghana, you've seen that same chilling effect bear fruit in Uganda, which passed a very similar law in the past. I can say that should the bill pass, it would potentially have ramifications for US assistance in the country."

He noted that both governments have had intensive conversations on the matter, which were done behind closed doors.

The US provided over $211 million in assistance to Ghana in fiscal year 2022, supporting various sectors including agriculture, malaria prevention, and AIDS combat efforts.

The United States has expressed deep concern over the passage of the stringent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Ghana, stating that it threatens constitutional freedoms.