President John Dramani Mahama says the country’s controversial anti-LGBTQ bill has not yet completed the legislative process and remains subject to constitutional and procedural review before it can become law.

Speaking at Chatham House in London on Monday (1 June), Mahama said Parliament had been considering the bill but that concerns had been raised over quorum requirements and procedural steps during its passage.

“Parliament has been considering it and it was supposed to have been passed last week. There’ve been a few issues raised,” he said.

He added that questions had been raised over whether proper quorum was met and whether parliamentary procedures were fully followed during the vote.

“There wasn’t quorum when it was passed, and then there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage,” he said.

Mahama said he had been informed that the Speaker of Parliament had issued a statement addressing the alleged irregularities and the status of the bill.

Under Ghana’s constitutional process, he noted, bills passed by Parliament must still receive presidential assent before becoming law, with the president retaining options for further review.

“When I was the opposition leader, the president has a number of options. It must come for assent,” he said.

He added that the presidency would examine the bill through legal advisers, including the Attorney-General, particularly because it originated as a private member’s bill rather than a government-sponsored bill.

“This was not a government bill… the legal counsel at the presidency and the Attorney-General would sit on it and make sure everything is in order before the president is advised to assent,” he said.

Mahama further stated that the president could also refer the bill to the Council of State for advice if concerns persisted.

“If there are some things that he thinks there are problems he can refer it to the Council of State for advice,” he said.

The legislation, which has sparked intense national and international debate, seeks to impose stricter penalties on LGBTQ-related activities and advocacy.

Mahama said the process remained ongoing and that “there are still quite a while to go before the bill becomes a law.”

The bill has drawn strong public attention in Ghana and criticism from human rights groups abroad, with supporters arguing it reflects local cultural values while opponents warn it could undermine civil liberties.