The New Patriotic Party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagba, has criticised Samuel Nartey George over his past advocacy against LGBTQ+ rights, questioning why the lawmaker has remained silent now that his party, the National Democratic Congress, is in power.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on April 9, Ahiagba said, “The clergy were behind him praying, creating the false impression that once we deal with LGBTQ, then Ghana is heaven. That’s what they created.”
He recalled vivid scenes from the election period, stressing the public display of devotion.
“I don’t know if it was carrying a pillow in the back of his car everywhere he got to. They put the pillow down in the open. Everywhere he got to, there was a pillow. He was kneeling down. He was prayed for and he won the election.”
Ahiagba added that Nartey George had intertwined religion and politics to advance his agenda. “He used Christianity. He used tradition. Okay, he used Islam.
He said that he is a Christian and that his faith as Assemblies of God… whatever that God allowed him to behave in a certain way,” he said.
Ahiagba’s comments emphasizing the continuing tensions in Ghana over LGBTQ+ rights and the role of religion in political campaigns, underscoring the scrutiny lawmakers face over past statements when political power shifts.
Background of Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill [LGBTQ+]
The bill, officially known as the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 (reintroduced in 2025 as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill), is a highly contentious legislative proposal in Ghana.
It aims to significantly tighten existing laws against LGBTQ+ activities and impose restrictions on the advocacy, promotion, and support of such rights.
The bill was introduced to Parliament in July 2021 by a bipartisan group of eight Members of Parliament following the opening of an LGBTQ+ advocacy center in Accra.
It seeks to promote “proper” human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values, criminalize same-sex conduct, prohibit LGBTQ+ advocacy, restrict funding for such activities, and penalize allies, including media or individuals who support LGBTQ+ persons.
The bill has strong support from traditional leaders, religious organizations, and a large portion of the Ghanaian population, who view it as a protection of national values against “foreign influence”.
Progress and Legislative Status (As of April 2026)
The bill underwent several hearings and was officially passed by the 8th Parliament of Ghana on February 28, 2024.
Following the passing, Former President, Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign the bill, citing pending legal challenges at the Supreme Court regarding its constitutionality. With the dissolution of the 8th Parliament before the 2024 general election, the bill lapsed.
In early 2025, ten MPs reintroduced the bill in the 9th Parliament to restart the legislative process. On February 17, 2026, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, received its First Reading in the new Parliament and was referred to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee.
There have been recent tensions in Parliament, with proponents (including minority caucus members) urging for swift passage, while accusations of delays have been directed at the government, leading to it being temporarily missing from parliamentary business agendas in early 2026.
Source: metrotvonline.com
