Mahama outlines conditions for signing anti-LGBTQI Bill if elected President 
Mahama outlines conditions for signing anti-LGBTQI Bill if elected President 
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Mahama outlines conditions for signing anti-LGBTQI Bill if elected President 

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama has stated that his decision to assent to the controversial anti-LGBTQI bill, formally titled the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill,” would depend on a thorough review of its contents.  

Speaking in an interview with BBC Africa on Wednesday, 4 December, Mr. Mahama said: “It is not an anti-LGBTQI Bill; it is a Family Values Bill. It was approved unanimously by our Parliament. [LGBTQI] is against our African culture, it is against our religious faith, but I think we must look at the Bill, and the president must indicate what he finds wrong with that bill and send it back to Parliament or alternatively he must send it to the Council of State and get the Council of State’s advice.”  

‘It depends on what is in the Bill’

When asked directly if he would sign the bill into law if he were elected president, Mahama said: “It depends on what is in the Bill.” He explained that if he had been president when the bill was passed by Parliament, he would have sought a detailed examination of its provisions and consulted with relevant advisory bodies.  

“That is what I would have done,” he affirmed.  

Legal challenges to the Bill
 
The “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill,” passed unanimously by Parliament, is currently being contested in the Supreme Court through two separate lawsuits.  

One of the plaintiffs, legal practitioner Richard Dela Sky, argues that the bill contravenes several provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including those related to personal freedoms and the use of public funds. Sky contends that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin violated Article 108(a)(ii) of the Constitution by allowing the passage of a bill that imposes charges on the Consolidated Fund without proper approval.  

Sky is seeking eight reliefs, including a declaration of unconstitutionality and an order to nullify the bill.  

In a separate case, Dr. Amanda Odoi has raised objections to specific clauses within the bill, calling for an injunction against the Speaker, the Attorney-General, and the Clerk of Parliament to prevent them from forwarding the bill to President Nana Akufo-Addo for assent.  

Both cases aim to halt the implementation of the legislation, citing constitutional breaches and potential overreach by Parliament.  

The bill has stirred national and international debate, with its supporters claiming it reflects Ghana’s cultural and religious values. Critics argue that it infringes on human rights and could have far-reaching implications for personal freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

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