Akufo-Addo would have no choice but to assent to anti-gay bill – Alban Bagbin

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has stated that no individual, including the President of Ghana, can stop parliament from passing the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, the house is currently considering.

According to him, after parliament has passed the anti-gay bill, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would have no choice but to eventually sign it into law.

The speaker, who made these remarks during the consideration of the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill (anti-LGBTQ+ bill) in parliament on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, added that persons who have issues with the bill can go to the courts when it becomes a law.

“It is not the case, constitutionally, that when a person finds problems with the laws we pass that have concerns that are constitutional in nature, it is not only that, they could be legal, not constitutional, they may be even matters of policy. But the president is not indulge with veto power.

“He only makes comments and resubmits it to the house, If the house insists that what we have passed is the right thing. The president has no option than to assent to it," he said.

The speaker added, “Ghanaians are after that permitted to take it to any court for interpretation. So, we are not bound to be looking over our shoulder because the present is there to make comments”.

Watch the speaker's remarks in the video below:

Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill: If the house insists that what we've passed is the right thing, the President has no option but to assent to it - Speaker determined to pass bill#MetroNews pic.twitter.com/l1RkW5GCnt

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) December 13, 2023