“If bill had not been submitted because the matter was in court, why was he made the face of delay?” – Rev. John Ntim Fordjour

Assin South Member of Parliament and Ranking Member on Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has mounted a strong defence of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning why the former President was widely blamed for delaying the legislation when it had allegedly not been presented to him for assent.

Speaking at a Minority press conference in Accra on Monday, June 1, 2026, Rev. Fordjour said recent comments attributed to President John Dramani Mahama have cast fresh light on the circumstances surrounding the controversial Bill and the legal challenges that accompanied it.

According to the Assin South lawmaker, President Mahama had publicly indicated that the Bill passed by Parliament in 2024 was not forwarded to former President Akufo-Addo for assent because court cases concerning the legislation were still pending at the time.

Rev. Fordjour argued that if the Bill had indeed not reached the former President's desk due to ongoing legal proceedings, then the public criticism directed at Akufo-Addo was misplaced.

“If the Bill had not been submitted because the matter was in court, why was he made the face of delay?” he asked.

He maintained that for months, many Ghanaians were led to believe that the former President had deliberately refused to sign the Bill into law despite overwhelming public support for the legislation.

According to him, the latest developments raise important questions about the narrative that was promoted regarding the Bill's journey through the legislative process.

“The question that must be answered is why Ghanaians were encouraged to believe that former President Akufo-Addo was responsible for delaying the Bill when, by the admission of President Mahama, the Bill had not been submitted to him because of ongoing court proceedings,” Rev. Fordjour stated.

The MP further contended that the matter has become even more significant following the reintroduction of the Bill to Parliament with several amendments.

In his view, the extensive revisions challenge the argument that the 2024 version of the legislation was complete and only awaiting presidential assent.

He questioned why Parliament did not simply reintroduce and pass the Bill in its original form if it was indeed ready to become law.

“If the same Bill passed in 2024 was truly the Bill Ghanaians were told must be signed immediately, why was it not simply reintroduced and passed in the same form?” he queried.

Rev. Fordjour stressed that his concerns were not merely about the substance of the Bill but also about fairness, accountability and public trust in the country's democratic institutions.

He argued that public officials and advocates who strongly campaigned for the Bill have a responsibility to provide Ghanaians with a clear explanation of the legal and procedural circumstances that prevented the legislation from progressing at the time.

The Assin South MP said transparency is essential in ensuring that citizens are accurately informed about matters of national importance and are not misled regarding the roles played by various state actors in the legislative process.

He therefore called on the government and supporters of the legislation to offer a comprehensive account of the events surrounding the Bill, insisting that Ghanaians deserve clarity on what transpired before, during and after the legal challenges that affected its passage.

Rev. Fordjour's remarks add a new dimension to the ongoing national debate over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which continues to generate significant public interest and discussion across the country.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith