Ghanaian activist and lawyer Oliver Barker Vormawor has raised concerns over the push for President John Dramani Mahama to sign the now-expired anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
In a social media post on Friday, January 17, 2025, Barker Vormawor accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of attempting to have Mahama sign a bill that no longer exists. He wrote, “Which Bill do they have in mind? Should he sign the Air?”
Barker Vormawor provided a detailed breakdown of the bill’s legislative process and its current status, explaining that the bill passed by Parliament had expired after the term of the previous Parliament ended.
“The term of the Parliament that passed that bill expired; and the Bill it passed, as well as all Bills in consideration expired,” he stated.
Barker Vormawor pointed out that after the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit related to the bill on December 18, 2024, there was no legal reason preventing President Nana Akufo-Addo from assenting to the bill.
However, he noted that the President chose not to do so, and the bill ultimately expired with the end of the Parliament’s term.
He further questioned why, after the expiration of the bill, the NPP would now seek to have Mahama sign a non-existent piece of legislation.
“So when today I hear some top opposition politicians now call on President Mahama to sign the now expired Bill, I ask, which Bill do they have in mind?” the activist asked.
President Mahama, in his recent remarks, has emphasized the need for broader consultations and the introduction of the bill as a government-sponsored initiative.
The call for Mahama to sign the bill has ignited further debate on the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, with supporters maintaining that the legislation is necessary to protect Ghanaian values, while opponents argue that it infringes on fundamental human rights.