Bawumia Says He Will Hurriedly Assent To Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill If Elected

• Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, has assured Ghanaians he would hurriedly assent to the anti-LGBTQ+ bill if elected
• He said the anti-LGBTQ+ bill and the anti-witchcraft bill are two bills dear to him, and he would ensure they are passed
• He had gone to the Believers Worship Centre to seek blessings and prayers from Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah, the founder of the religious institution

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced his resolve to assent to the anti-LGBTQ+ bill and the anti-witchcraft bill if he becomes president.

Addressing the congregation at the Believers Worship Centre, where he had gone for intercessory prayers from the leader of the Church, Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said he intends to complete a lot of unfinished business if elected.

The anti-LGBTQ+ bill and the anti-witchcraft bill, whose passage has stalled, are also on that list of unfinished business.

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He noted that a lot of Ghanaians, including himself, had hoped that the bills, particularly the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, would have been passed already.

Dr Bawumia stated that if elected president, he would hurriedly sign the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law and would do the same for the anti-witchcraft bill.

Supreme court to deliver judgement on anti-LGBTQ+ bill

The Supreme Court is expected to give its final judgment on the Human and Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the "anti-LGBTQ" bill, on December 18, 2024.

Graphic Online reported that the seven-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Avril Lovelace Johnson, granted leave to lawyers for Richard Sky, one of the people challenging the bill, to amend his statement on the case.

The defendants in the case are to file their response by November 27, 2024. The proposed law seeks to punish people identifying as LGBTQ with up to three years in prison.

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Sky and Odoi are challenging the bill on grounds ranging from Parliamentary procedure to fundamental human rights.

Akufo-Addo refusal to receive “anti-LGBTQ” bill

YEN.com.gh reported that President Akufo-Addo refused to formally receive the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which Parliament approved on June 28, because of these lawsuits.

The president returned the bill to Parliament when it was sent for his assent.

The court refused to compel him, noting that granting such a request would be inappropriate because of the bill's legal challenges at the Supreme Court.

The non-receipt of the bill by the presidency since it was passed has been frustrating for some figures in the legislature.

Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh