Mahama and Akufo-Addo Took Similar Approach to Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill – Miracles Aboagye

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, spokesperson for NPP flagbearer Mahamudu Bawumia, has argued that President John Dramani Mahama is handling the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in much the same way as former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did in 2024.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s *The Big Issue* on June 6, Aboagye rejected suggestions that Akufo-Addo deliberately refused to sign the controversial legislation after its passage by Parliament.

According to him, both presidents have faced similar constitutional and procedural circumstances, as the bill has not completed all the required legislative and transmission processes necessary for presidential action.

Aboagye maintained that the situation under Akufo-Addo was not a political decision to block the bill but rather the result of procedural limitations and legal considerations surrounding the legislation at the time.

He noted that legal challenges and advice from relevant authorities influenced how state institutions approached the bill in 2024, arguing that similar considerations continue to affect its current status.

The NPP communicator contended that the main difference between the two administrations lies in how their positions were communicated. He said the Akufo-Addo administration formally communicated its position to Parliament through official correspondence, while President Mahama has expressed similar concerns publicly regarding the bill’s procedural and constitutional status.

Aboagye further argued that critics are drawing premature political conclusions from a legislative process that has not yet reached the stage where a president can formally assent to or reject the bill.

The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill remains a subject of intense public and political debate, with differing views on its legislative status and the role successive administrations have played in its progress.