The Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, has firmly defended the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, insisting that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin lacks the authority to overturn the decision already taken by the House.
His comments follow concerns raised by the Speaker, who called for Parliament to reconsider the controversial bill after indicating surprise that all legislative stages had been completed on Friday, May 29. The Speaker had expected the House to begin consideration of the bill when it was already fully processed.
Hon. Ayariga maintained that Parliament followed due process in passing the legislation and rejected suggestions that procedural irregularities occurred during its consideration.
Speaker’s Appeal Cannot Reverse Decision
According to the Bawku Central Member of Parliament, the Speaker’s intervention should be understood as a request for reconsideration rather than an action capable of annulling a completed parliamentary decision.
“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”.
Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Hon. Mahama Ayariga
He emphasized that the legislative outcome was final and in line with established parliamentary practice, arguing that similar procedures had been used in the passage of other bills in the past without controversy.
Ayariga insisted that the passage of the bill was conducted within the framework of Parliament’s Standing Orders and therefore remains valid unless properly challenged through appropriate parliamentary mechanisms.
Abridgement of Time Used in Procedure
Addressing concerns about the speed at which the bill progressed through the House, the Majority Leader explained that Parliament relied on a procedural mechanism known as abridgement of time.
He noted that this mechanism is commonly used to fast track legislative business when necessary and is fully provided for under parliamentary rules.
“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”.
Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Hon. Mahama Ayariga
According to him, all stages of the bill were properly recorded in parliamentary proceedings, reinforcing the position that the process was legitimate and consistent with established practice.
Withdrawal Claims Dismissed
Hon. Mahama Ayariga also addressed claims that one of the sponsors of the bill, Assin South MP Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, had sought to withdraw support for the legislation during its consideration.
“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”.
Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Hon. Mahama Ayariga
The Majority Leader’s remarks were aimed at clarifying that the legislative process was not dependent on a single sponsor and therefore could not be halted by the actions of one individual.
Minority Concerns Over Procedure
The controversy surrounding the bill’s passage has also drawn attention from Minority Members of Parliament, with Bosome Freho MP Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh raising concerns that Minority sponsors were not present during the final stages of consideration.
His comments have added to ongoing debate about transparency and participation in the legislative process, particularly regarding how swiftly the bill moved through its final readings.
However, the Majority Leader maintained that all parliamentary procedures were duly followed and that the absence of some members did not invalidate the decisions taken by the House.
The passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, continues to generate significant national discussion, with supporters and critics divided over both its content and the process through which it was approved.
While proponents argue that the legislation reflects cultural and societal values and was properly passed, critics have raised concerns about procedural transparency and its broader implications for rights and governance.
Despite the controversy, Hon. Mahama Ayariga remains resolute that Parliament acted within its constitutional mandate and that the Speaker’s concerns do not alter the legality of the bill’s passage.
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