Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to clearly state his position on signing the controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill should it be presented to him.
According to Koku, President Mahama served as Vice President to the late John Evans Atta Mills, who had a firm stance against LGBT issues. Therefore, he believes Mahama should maintain the same position.
In a recent interview, President Mahama was asked whether he would sign the bill if it were presented to him. In his response, he stated that the bill had expired because it was not assented to by the previous president, and he emphasized the need for stakeholder consultations before introducing a new bill.
However, Koku Anyidoho was not satisfied with Mahama’s response and questioned his stance.
“Your Excellency, with all due respect, you were Vice President when President Mills emphatically said NO to this issue. Respectfully, did you support that emphatic NO? Please don’t prevaricate, let us know your clear position,” he stated in a post on X on March 17, 2025.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has called for broader stakeholder consultations on social policies, emphasizing that discussions on Ghana’s cultural values should be inclusive rather than dictated by external influences.
In an interview with Bloomberg’s Next Africa, Mahama stressed the need for open dialogue on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, stating that policy decisions should reflect the perspectives of all relevant stakeholders, including religious leaders, traditional authorities, civil society organizations, and the general public.
“What we need is more stakeholder consultation to look at whatever new bill will come and make sure that we carry everybody on board,” he asserted.
His comments come at a time when Ghana has been engaged in heated debates over legislation concerning LGBTQ+ rights, with international financial institutions like the World Bank and the IMF reportedly linking funding decisions to the country’s stance on such issues.
Mahama maintained that while Ghana remains open to international cooperation, its social policies should be shaped through internal consensus rather than external pressure.
“Multilateral institutions should avoid getting into cultural matters,” he remarked. “This is a diverse world. We have different cultures.”
By advocating for stakeholder engagement, John Mahama positioned himself as a leader who prioritizes inclusive governance.
Your Excellency, with all due respect, you were Vice President when President Mills made an emphatic, NO, statement on this issue. Respectfully, did you support the emphatic, NO? Pls don’t prevaricate: let’s know your emphatic position please🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/Z6zjFOSKLe
— Samuel
AM/KA
Meanwhile, catch the first in the series of our special episodes on Forgotten Forts on People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below. This episode focuses on Fort Amsterdam at Abandze: