Majority Leader assures LGBTQ Bill will reach President Mahama before end of November

Majority Leader James Agalga has confirmed that the LGBTQ bill will be forwarded to President John Dramani Mahama for approval before the end of November 2026. He stated that Parliament is actively working to rectify errors in the bill's penalty provisions to guarantee the law can be effectively enforced. Agalga assured the public that the bill would be presented to the President this month.

He explained that the delay was due to mistakes in determining penalty units, which could cause issues when courts attempt to hand down sentences under the proposed law. He said, "For instance, how to compute penalty units was completely done in error, in some cases."

According to Agalga, Parliament will need to reconsider and amend the affected sections before forwarding the bill to the President. He emphasized that these corrections would not substantially alter the bill's content. "So, not much of substance would change," he stated. The demand for Parliament to finalize work on the contentious legislation has increased.

On Tuesday, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin warned that he would publicly accuse individuals he believed were hindering the bill's passage. The LGBTQ bill has been a subject of intense political and legal debate in Ghana. An earlier version was passed by Parliament in February 2024 but was not approved by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, who held off his endorsement until legal challenges were resolved.

The bill subsequently expired before a new version was passed in May 2026. Agalga dismissed claims that President Mahama had changed his stance on the legislation, asserting that it was Parliament's responsibility to enact the laws. He maintained that Parliament was the appropriate body to address the identified errors and ensure the bill was prepared for transmission to the President.