Kumasi: Legal practitioner Adjei Tenkorang has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in Parliament of hastening the passage of the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill for political gain, potentially bypassing due process.
According to Ghana Web, Tenkorang expressed his concerns on Angel FM, claiming that recent events surrounding the bill have validated issues previously raised by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Tenkorang noted that the former president had urged caution and sought legal clarity on whether certain aspects of the bill conflicted with constitutional human rights protections.
Tenkorang stated, "When he asked them to wait and even took it to the Supreme Court because some of the provisions were against the human rights of people, the NDC claimed they had never heard anything like that before and continued applying pressure." He further mentioned that President John Dramani Mahama has now echoed similar concerns.
The lawyer argued that emerging information about the legislative process suggests the bill may have bypassed former President Akufo-Addo's assent, with President Mahama affirming this. "Now, we also know that the bill never got to former President Akufo-Addo," he claimed, indicating that procedural requirements might not have been met before presenting the legislation for presidential approval.
Tenkorang also referenced comments by Mahama Ayariga, who expressed confidence that President Mahama would sign the bill if it were presented to him, which contradicts the Speaker's statement. He questioned the legislative process, asking, "In relation to Ayariga's comment, the Speaker also has come out to say that the issue was just up for consideration, but how come they have gone to pass it?"
The lawyer suggested that these discrepancies raise questions about whether the Speaker of Parliament was fully involved in the legislative process.