The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Mahama Ayariga, has accused officials appointed under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of deliberately obstructing the transmission of the Anti-LGBTQ bill to the presidency, describing their actions as political interference in the legislative process.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Ayariga alleged that after the bill was duly passed by the House, it was never forwarded to the President because certain NPP-appointed officials issued a letter warning Parliament against transmitting it.

He condemned the act as an attempt to undermine the constitutional independence of Parliament, insisting that such interference strikes at the core of Ghana’s democratic governance.

“The letter from the Office of the President was nothing short of a threat to Parliament,” he said.

“It is unacceptable for any presidential appointee to interfere with the constitutional mandate of this House.”

Mr. Ayariga further accused the former ruling party of hypocrisy on the matter, noting that the NPP had ample opportunity to pass the bill during its time in office but failed to do so.

He recalled that some individuals had even gone to court to compel the then-President to assent to the bill, though the effort proved unsuccessful.

Reaffirming the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s commitment to the legislation, the Majority Leader disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama had expressed his readiness to sign the bill into law once it is properly presented to the presidency.

To ensure procedural clarity, Mr. Ayariga proposed that Parliament treat the bill as not yet passed and restart the legislative process to avoid potential legal and administrative challenges.

He also called for the former Secretary to the President to be referred to the Privileges Committee, describing his actions as “an act of intimidation and overreach.”

“We must defend the integrity of this House,” Ayariga stressed. “No one should be allowed to threaten Parliament in the discharge of its duties.”