Former Abuakwa South Member of Parliament, Samuel Atta Akyea, has expressed doubt over Speaker Alban Bagbin’s move to halt the transmission of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025 (anti-LGBTQ Bill) for presidential assent, questioning the procedural basis for reversing a bill that has already been passed by Parliament.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Mr Atta Akyea argued that the controversial bill had already gone through the full legislative process under the supervision of the First Deputy Speaker and should ordinarily proceed to the next stage.
His comments follow the Speaker’s directive calling for a reconsideration of the bill after raising concerns about how it was passed on May 29.
According to him, once a presiding officer has guided the House through the passage of a bill, the decision becomes final and difficult to reverse through parliamentary procedure.
“I believe it is water under the bridge because if it’s been passed, he was not there physically. But the First Deputy Speaker presided over affairs and then handed down the gavel; that is the end of the matter. The Bill is duly passed. I believe it is too late in the day to reverse it. Moreso when the next stage of trying to conclude the matter is for the presidential assent to be given,” he said.
Mr Atta Akyea further questioned the procedural basis on which the Speaker intends to revisit the matter after its passage.
“I wonder how the Speaker is going to use any of the rules to reverse what has been concluded. Maybe he has more superior thinking of the matter than myself but it is a very tall order,” he added.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, has triggered renewed debate following the Speaker’s intervention, with calls for further engagement on its legislative process.
President John Dramani Mahama has also indicated that the bill is still far from becoming law, insisting it requires further review before any decision on assent, citing procedural and constitutional concerns.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
