The Minority in Parliament has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of exploiting the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill—commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill—as a campaign tool during the 2024 elections, only to abandon its commitment after securing power. Speaking at the Minority Caucus’ Holding Government to Account press briefing, Minority Leader and Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, stated that the NDC and its MPs openly pledged to ensure the bill’s passage and presidential assent once in office, but have since failed to honour that promise.
He argued that the party’s current stance starkly contradicts its campaign rhetoric, especially in light of the recent controversy surrounding LGBTQ-related material in the Senior High School curriculum, which the government has dismissed as an error. Mr Afenyo-Markin also took issue with President John Dramani Mahama’s explanation that the government is engaging in broader consultations to refine the bill, describing the justification as inconsistent with the NDC’s earlier stance while in opposition.
He further alleged that attempts by Minority MPs to advance the bill through a private member’s motion—aimed at holding the government to its stated principles—were deliberately frustrated by the Majority through procedural tactics. The Minority Leader maintained that the NDC exploited the bill to secure political power and is now attempting to distance itself from the matter.
“We hear His Excellency the President play on words to say that the government was engaging in wider consultation to see how the law could be formulated in a better way. Really? Was it not the same law they said was okay to be passed? When the Mighty Minority members decided through private members bill to now pin them to their own principles, suddenly after all the processes has been followed, and approval given and the motion was on the order paper, 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 of Parliament.
We hold the view that the NDC used the Anti-LGBTQ law only for 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,” he said.
Source: Juliana Odame Asare
