The Minority in Parliament has called on the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stand by its earlier position on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, insisting that President John Dramani Mahama must uphold the commitment the party made while in opposition.
The caucus says the NDC must demonstrate consistency by supporting the legislation it previously advocated for, rather than introducing changes that could alter its substance.
Speaking at a Leaders’ Media Briefing on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ahead of Parliament’s resumption, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the NDC had previously insisted that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assent to the Bill after its passage in 2024.
He said the Minority expected President Mahama to maintain that position and ensure that the legislation presented for his assent reflected the same Bill the NDC supported while in opposition.
“We, the Minority, will want to secure two things: that citizens’ rights are protected and that the original bill, that the NDC promised and passed in opposition, should be the same bill that must be signed by President John Dramani Mahama,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin also cautioned against attempts to introduce last-minute amendments, arguing that such changes could weaken the legislation.
“We don’t want any late amendments carved out or delayed to water it down. Every member must vote on the actual text. Rights must be protected by precise drafting, consistent with the 1992 Constitution. Blanket exemptions are not safeguards, they are a dilution,” he added.
The Minority Leader further maintained that lawmakers must be allowed to vote on the actual text of the Bill, insisting that any provisions relating to citizens’ rights must be clearly drafted and consistent with the 1992 Constitution.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill was first passed by Parliament on February 28, 2024, during the Eighth Parliament. The legislation was subsequently forwarded to former President Akufo-Addo for assent but did not become law before the end of his administration and the dissolution of the House.
The Bill was later reintroduced as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, and passed by Parliament on May 29, 2026. The revised version included amendments exempting certain legal practitioners, journalists and medical professionals from sanctions for carrying out their professional duties.
The amendments, however, attracted opposition from the NPP Minority, which argued that the changes had altered aspects of the original legislation. The caucus has since maintained that the version it supported in 2024 should be the one advanced for presidential assent.
