The LGBTQ+ bill never reached Akufo-Addo’s desk, Jinapor sets the record straight, then passes the ball to Mahama’s government.
Samuel Abu Jinapor, a Member of Parliament for Damongo and the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, says that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the LGBTQ+ bill, was not before former President Nana Akufo-Addo when the New Patriotic Party left office. This means that claims that the former President refused to sign it are not true. On GTV’s breakfast show on April 20, 2026, Jinapor said that the current government could speed up the bill if it wanted to by issuing a certificate of urgency. He also said that the bill is in line with Ghanaian cultural values. The 8th Parliament passed the law in February 2024, but it expired because it didn’t get presidential approval before the Parliament was dissolved in January 2025. This means that it must be reintroduced to the current Parliament for consideration. Jinapor’s comments come at a time when some lawmakers and religious groups are putting more pressure on the bill to be passed.
