A co-sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025(anti-LGBTQ+ Bill), Samuel Nartey George, has called on Parliament to formally transmit the controversial legislation to President John Dramani Mahama for his consideration, saying the process must follow constitutional procedure rather than reopening parliamentary debate.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, June 6, 2026, Mr George said Parliament’s role at this stage is to transmit the bill to the President for assent, refusal or referral back with reservations, rather than revisiting the legislative process.
He argued that President Mahama has already indicated willingness to sign the bill, subject to legal scrutiny by the Attorney General and his legal counsel, Marietta Brew. According to him, the President would act based on their advice.
“Parliament should transmit the bill to President Mahama. The President has indicated already that he is ready, but he thinks that there needs to be scrutiny. He is going to hand the bill over to his Attorney General and his legal counsel, Marietta Brew. They will give him advice,” Mr George said.
He explained that if the legal advice supports the bill, the President is expected to assent to it, but if there are reservations, Parliament will have to respond through the proper constitutional channel.
“Upon the advice, if they say that the terms of the bill are okay, he will indicate that he will sign. If they think that they have reservations, he should write back to Parliament, and we will debate his reservations,” he said.
Mr George stressed that the process does not allow for Parliament to restart deliberations on the bill after passage.
He added that any concerns from the Speaker of Parliament should also be channelled through the formal transmission process rather than triggering a fresh round of legislative consideration.
“If Mr Speaker has any such reservations, I think that it would be fine to channel it through. That is the route that Parliament has now. Not to bring it back, and you cannot do a fourth reading. No, we can’t come back and do a fourth reading,” he said.
His comments come after Speaker Alban Bagbin directed Parliament to reconsider the already passed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, following consultations with leadership of the House aimed at building broader consensus around the legislation.
The Speaker on Tuesday, June 2, called for further engagement between the Majority and Minority leadership, raising concerns about the process leading to the bill’s passage.
Mr Bagbin said he was surprised the bill was fully passed on Friday, May 29, noting that he had expected Parliament to begin only the consideration stage before proceedings concluded.
He maintained that the bill, given its public sensitivity and the level of national debate it has generated, requires broader consultation and consensus among stakeholders.
