Minority accuses Government of ‘hypocrisy’ over delay in anti-LGBTQ+ law

Maxwell Nyagamago 12:15 - 26 January 2026

Alexander Afenyo- Markin

Minority in Parliament accuses the NDC government of hypocrisy over delays in implementing the anti-LGBTQ+ law, citing broken promises, procedural blockages and double standards after the bill’s passage in 2024.

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the government over what it describes as hypocrisy surrounding the delay in the passage of Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ law.

According to the Minority, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), while in opposition, mounted sustained pressure on the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to pass the bill, including organising protests and engaging religious and traditional leaders.

Addressing a news conference on Monday, January 26, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin accused the government of double standards and deliberately frustrating efforts to pass the legislation.

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President John Mahama and Alexander Afenyo-Markin

He said:

Basically, they said that to protect our own culture, our religious beliefs, there's a need to pass a law that will criminalise any acts of lesbianism, gayism, etc. They were loud on the streets of Accra. They went into our villages, engaged the media, engaged religious leaders, engaged traditional rulers.

He questioned the government’s current posture, noting that nearly one year after assuming office, the NDC had gone silent on the issue.

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He added:

One year down the line, they've been in office. They have gone quiet on this anti-LGBT law. We hear His Excellency the President play on words, claiming that the government was doing wider consultation to see how the law could be formulated in a better way, but was it not the same law that they said it was OK to be passed?

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Mr Afenyo-Markin further accused the Majority Caucus and its leader, Mahama Ayariga, of blocking attempts to reintroduce the bill through parliamentary procedure.

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He said:

Again, when the mighty Minority members decided through a private member’s bill to now pin them to their own principles, suddenly, after all the processes had been followed and approval given and the motion was on the Order Paper.

Mahama Ayariga sitting in parliament

He alleged that procedural tactics were used to halt progress on the bill. He stated:

The NDC, through its Majority Leader, found a way of using procedure to claim that there was no such approval by the Speaker and tried to scapegoat the Clerk to Parliament. As we speak, they have refused, neglected and deliberately denied the people of Ghana the anti-LGBT law that they themselves spoke about.

The Minority further accused the NDC of exploiting the bill purely for electoral advantage. Mr Afenyo-Markin said:

We hold the view that the NDC used the anti-LGBT law only to win power, and now that they are facing the reality, they want to find a way of running away from it. We will insist that they act by their own principle.

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The anti-LGBTQ+ bill, officially titled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, was unanimously passed by Parliament on February 28, 2024. The legislation seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana, with penalties ranging from six months to three years’ imprisonment for individuals, and between three and five years for promoters or sponsors.