Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has rejected suggestions that Speaker Alban Bagbin can overturn Parliament’s passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, insisting the legislation was approved in accordance with parliamentary rules.
His remarks follow Speaker Bagbin’s call for Parliament to reconsider the controversial bill after expressing concern over the process that led to its passage on Friday, May 29. The Speaker said he had expected the House to begin consideration of the bill and was surprised to learn that all stages had been completed.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, June 2, Ayariga maintained that no parliamentary procedures were breached and stressed that the Speaker’s comments amounted only to an appeal.
“The Speaker is only appealing. He cannot in any way reverse what has happened. What has happened has happened. We have passed many bills the same way, and indeed there was no rule that was breached at all,” he said.
Ayariga explained that the requirement for a bill to wait 24 hours before advancing to the next stage was lawfully waived through a procedural motion to abridge time, which was approved by the First Deputy Speaker.
“If you check the Votes and Proceedings, you will see clearly that the procedural motion was moved and allowed by the First Deputy Speaker. We abridged time and that enabled us to take the bill through the third consideration stage. So there was absolutely no breach of procedure,” he stated.
He also dismissed claims that the bill could have been withdrawn by one of its sponsors, Assin South MP Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, arguing that the legislation had multiple sponsors and could not be halted by the decision of a single individual.
“The Honourable Ntim Fordjour could not have withdrawn the bill. He was not the only sponsor. There were several other sponsors, so whatever he threatened to do or not do had no effect whatsoever on the bill and its consideration by the House,” Ayariga added.
The controversy comes after Bosome Freho MP Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh raised concerns that none of the Minority MPs who sponsored the bill were present in the chamber when Parliament completed its final stages of consideration.
