Ghana News
Mahama Cites Procedural Issues with Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, Suggesting Global Opposition May Have Succeeded in Killing Legislation
President John Dramani Mahama has signalled that Ghana’s controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill is far from becoming law, citing procedural lapses and constitutional hurdles that could delay, or potentially kill, the legislation.
The remarks suggest mounting international pressure may have achieved its purpose.
Speaking at a Chatham House interview in London on Monday, June 1, as part of his UK working visit, Mahama stopped well short of endorsing the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which Parliament passed on May 29, 2026. Instead, he outlined a series of obstacles that must be cleared before he could even consider signing it.
“There’s still quite a while to go before that bill becomes law,” Mahama said.
The comments come just 24 hours after the president conspicuously deflected a direct question on the bill during a diaspora town hall in London—a silence that many interpreted as discomfort with the legislation. They also follow a bold prediction by Ghanaian transgender activist Angel Maxine, who declared with confidence that Mahama “will not sign this useless bill.”
Procedural Lapses and Constitutional Hurdles
Mahama revealed that two major issues have already emerged since Parliament passed the bill.
“One, that there wasn’t a quorum when it was passed. That’s an issue that has come up,” he said. “And then, two, there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage.”
The president added that he had just received communication that the Speaker of Parliament was preparing a statement to address these lapses, an acknowledgment that the bill’s passage may not have followed proper legislative procedure.
A Lengthy Review Process Ahead
Even if those issues are resolved, Mahama made clear that the bill faces a rigorous multi-step review before he would consider signing it.
First, he said, the bill, which was a private member’s motion, not a government bill, must be scrutinized by the Presidency’s legal counsel and the Attorney General.
“If there are some things that he thinks are a problem, the President has another option. He can refer it to the Council of State for advice,” Mahama explained. “The Council of State is an advisory body to the President. They’ll take a look at it and then advise the President.”
If substantial issues are raised, Mahama noted, he could return the bill to Parliament “indicating exactly what the issues are.”
From Deflection to Delay: A Pattern Emerges
The president’s carefully worded remarks stand in stark contrast to the urgency with which Parliament passed the bill. Just days earlier, on May 29, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor declared:
“Honourable members, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025 is duly read for the third time and passed.”
But Mahama’s London comments suggest he is in no rush to act.
Asked directly at Chatham House for his response to the bill’s passage, the president did not defend its provisions or express support for its criminalisation of LGBTQ+ identity. Instead, he focused entirely on process—quorum, procedure, legal review, council advice.
For human rights observers, the subtext was clear.
International Pressure Appears to Be Biting
The global backlash to the bill has been swift and fierce. Human Rights Watch called it “cruel and draconian.” Amnesty International warned of “hatred, persecution, and discrimination.” UNAIDS said laws like this “kill” by driving vulnerable populations away from HIV services.
Western governments, though quieter in immediate statements, have signalled concerns that could affect aid, investment, and IMF programmes, leverage that Ghana, still recovering from a recent economic crisis, cannot afford to ignore.
Mahama’s Chatham House remarks suggest that pressure may have achieved its purpose. By pointing out procedural flaws and a lengthy review process, the president has effectively stalled the bill without having to publicly reject it, and without alienating the conservative base that supports it.
Angel Maxine: ‘The Reality Is That It Will Not Be Signed’
The activist community has seized on Mahama’s comments as vindication.
“President Mahama will not sign this useless bill into law,” Angel Maxine said in a video last week. “The politicians just passed the bill because they want to score some cheap political points. The reality is that it will not be signed into law.”
On Monday, that prediction looked less like wishful thinking and more like political foresight.
What the Bill Would Do—And Who Is Exempt
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill criminalises LGBTQ+ identification, advocacy, and funding of related activities, with penalties up to 10 years in prison. However, the final version passed by Parliament includes controversial exemptions for:
- Legal professionals providing advice or representation
- Journalists and media houses reporting on LGBTQ+ issues
- Medical, psychological, and counselling professionals serving LGBTQ+ individuals
The Minority Caucus opposed these exemptions, arguing they exposed flaws in the original bill. Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga defended them as necessary to “narrowly define exemptions” so that professional services are not misinterpreted as promoting LGBTQ+ activities.
A Pivotal Moment for Ghana and Its Allies
Mahama’s Chatham House interview did not explicitly state whether he will sign or reject the bill. But his emphasis on delay, procedure, and constitutional advice suggests a president who is in no hurry to enact a law that has isolated Ghana from key international partners.
For global observers who condemned the bill, the message is encouraging: the combination of diplomatic pressure, economic leverage, and procedural scrutiny may have succeeded where direct appeals alone could not.
For conservative supporters of the bill at home, the message is frustrating: a law they believed was days away from enactment now faces an uncertain future.
“There’s still quite a while to go,” Mahama said.
For the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana, those words offer a fragile but real hope.
Ghana News
Ghana Ties Rice Imports to Local Production, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
These are the most relevant and impactful stories from across Ghana today, presented as concise updates on key developments across the country.
Government to Tie Rice Imports to Local Production in Major Policy Shift
The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a significant policy linking rice import permits directly to investments in local rice production and milling facilities. This move by the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost domestic farming, reduce the country’s growing rice import bill, and accelerate progress toward food self-sufficiency. Read the full story here
Edem Senanu Questions Procedural Lapses in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Process
Chairman of Advocates for Christ, Edem Senanu, has raised concerns over how Parliament’s House of Records handled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning procedural and drafting issues that emerged after its passage. Read the full story here
Sheikh Shaibu Warns Against Politicising Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has cautioned the NDC and NPP against turning the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into a political contest, stressing that Ghana already has a broad national consensus on the matter rooted in cultural and religious values. Read the full story here
Honest Ghanaian Rewarded GH¢10,000 for Returning Lost ATM Cash
Fidelity Bank has rewarded Emmanuel Appiah Boateng with GH¢10,000 for his honesty after he returned GH¢4,000 he found left behind at one of its ATMs. Read the full story here
Nigel Gaisie Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Kumchacha
Prophet Nigel Gaisie has sued Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha) for GH¢10 million over alleged defamatory statements questioning his prophetic ministry. Read the full story here
680 Ghanaians to Be Evacuated from South Africa Amid Xenophobia Concerns
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has announced plans to evacuate 680 Ghanaians (340 on June 6 and 340 on June 7, 2026) due to xenophobia-related safety issues. Read the full story here
Free SHS Suppliers to Picket at Education Ministry Over GH¢50m Debt
The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will picket at the Ministry of Education on June 11, 2026, over unpaid debts of approximately GH¢50 million for supplies delivered under the Free Senior High School programme since 2023. Read the full story here
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has temporarily halted new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency ward exceeded capacity due to overwhelming patient numbers. Read the full story here
15 dead, 25 injured in head-on collision at Peki-Tsame
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured following a devastating head-on collision between a container truck and a passenger bus at Peki-Tsame in the Volta Region. The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, near the premises of Peki Senior High School, prompting an emergency response from personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Read the full story here
Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Stay informed with today’s front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, all in one place.
Ghana News
Is the UN Losing Its Legitimacy? Ghana’s President Says Permanent Security Council Bias ‘Eats Away’ Trust
The continued exclusion of Africa from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council is not merely a procedural flaw but a structural imbalance that is systematically eroding the credibility of the multilateral system, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned on Monday.
Speaking at Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, Mahama argued that the UN’s primary decision-making body risks becoming untenable as a steward of global peace and security if it fails to reflect the demographic and political realities of the 21st century.
“This is not nearly a procedural anomaly,” Mahama said. “It is a historical injustice and a structural imbalance that undermines the credibility of the multilateral system itself.”
The president’s remarks come as the UN Security Council (UNSC) remains composed of five permanent members (P5) – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – all of which were Allied powers in World War II.
Africa, home to 54 UN member states, the largest regional bloc in the organization, holds no permanent seat and only three non-permanent seats that rotate every two years.
Mahama noted that the representational gap is poised to become more pronounced as global demographics shift. According to UN population projections, Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.
“This eats away at the trust in the system,” a senior official from the Ghanaian presidency later summarized, reinforcing Mahama’s central thesis that legitimacy in global governance requires equitable participation.
The Ghanaian leader affirmed that his government would continue to advocate for “comprehensive reform” of the UN, including permanent, veto-wielding seats for African nations.
The African Union has long pushed for a common position known as the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent, with the same powers and responsibilities as current P5 members.
However, Mahama’s critique extended beyond the Security Council. He linked the UN’s representational crisis to what he described as parallel failures in the international financial architecture. He argued that debt vulnerabilities across the Global South are not isolated fiscal challenges but structural development constraints that limit investment in health, education, infrastructure, climate adaptation, and industrial transformation.
“The international debt system must therefore become fairer, more flexible and more development-focused,” Mahama said.
He also called for reforms to global taxation frameworks, asserting that developing economies should derive equitable value from economic activity generated within their jurisdictions. A stable international order, he warned, cannot be sustained while prosperity remains structurally unequal.
To illustrate the tangible cost of such inequality, Mahama pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. African nations, he said, discovered that access to vaccines and essential medical supplies depended not on the urgency of public health need but on their position within the global supply hierarchy. That experience, he noted, directly prompted Ghana to launch the Accra Reset Initiative – a strategic framework designed to move Africa and the Global South from dependency toward resilience, and from passive participation toward active agenda-setting in global governance.
President Mahama concluded by rejecting any characterization of Ghana as a passive observer of the changes reshaping the international order.
“We see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more balanced, equitable, and cooperative international system,” he said.
No immediate response was issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Reform of the council requires an amendment to the UN Charter, which must be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by all five permanent members, each of whom holds a veto over their own status.
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