2024 elections: What potential presidential candidates have said about LGBT+ rights

In the lead-up to the 2024 elections in Ghana, the issue of LGBT+ rights has become a focal point of discussions among the personalities who will be leading the various political parties and groups in the December polls. With divergent views rooted in religious, cultural, and economic considerations, some candidates have articulated their respective stances on this contentious issue.

NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia

Vice President Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia, Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reiterated his staunch opposition to homosexuality in Ghana, aligning his position to both Islamic and Christian teachings, as well as Ghanaian societal norms.

At a recent Eid-ul-Fitr prayer gathering in Kumasi, he said that his faith as a Muslim firmly forbids LGBT+ acts, emphasizing strict adherence to religious teachings on the matter.

Dr. Bawumia also pledged to uphold this stance if elected president, reflecting the sentiments of Ghana’s religious communities and broader society.

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally comment on the raging issue of LGBTQ in Ghana. First of all, it is important to note that our cultural and societal norms and values as Ghanaians frown on the practice of homosexuality.

“Furthermore, as a Muslim, my view on this matter aligns with the position of my religious faith. The Holy Quran is replete with verses frowning on LGBTQ acts, including same-sex marriages. My faith is therefore very strictly against the practice of homosexuality, with no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts,’ no shades of grey,” he stated.

NDC flagbearer John Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama, Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has also expressed opposition to LGBT+ practices.

He has emphasized the importance of upholding traditional family values and has called for collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government to address the issue effectively.

“I am an Assemblies of God member; the faith I have does not allow a man to marry a man and a woman to marry a woman.

“The bill is before parliament, and the government has indicated that they won’t sign because the Attorney General has said a private members’ motion can be passed but must not come with a cost to the government. Based on that, the president has indicated that should a bill be brought before him, he would not sign,” Mahama said during one of his campaign tours.

LPG flagbearer Kofi Akpaloo

Kofi Akpaloo, leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), has highlighted the economic implications of the anti-LGBT+ bill, cautioning against its enactment into law, amid ongoing economic challenges.

While expressing personal disapproval of LGBT+ activities, Akpaloo has called for a pragmatic approach, prioritizing economic recovery and national stability.

“I don’t support anyone practising LGBTQ activities. However, we should not do things out of emotions. Have you ever heard that Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which frown on LGBTQ activities, have ever gone for a loan from any country before?

“As a country, let us put our things right economically, then any president can boldly and fearlessly sign the bill into law,” he said in an interview on Kasapa FM.

The New Force Nana Kwame Bediako

Nana Kwame Bediako, Founder of The New Force Movement, has refrained from commenting extensively on the anti-LGBT+ bill, citing a lack of familiarity with its specifics.

He emphasized that the focus should be on ethical conduct guided by Christian principles while advocating for a balanced approach that fosters national unity and moral values.

“They taught me in Christianity that I should fear God and worship Him. They didn’t teach me to go and sack prostitutes or persons who engage in immorality,” he said in an interview on Asempa FM on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

GUM flagbearer Osofo Kyiri Abosom

Osofo Kyiri Abosom, the presidential candidate-hopeful, of the Ghana Union Movement, has taken a firm stance against LGBT+ practices, labeling them as contrary to African morals and cultural values.

He has called upon President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sign the anti-gay bill into law, asserting Ghana’s sovereignty and resisting external pressures.

“We don’t have to allow foreigners to blackmail us into accepting something evil as a means to depopulate us.

“The first thing I would want to say is that if President Akufo-Addo does not assent to the anti-gay bill, then I will tag him as gay. He is a member of the LGBTQI+ community if he does not sign. Our cultural values do not allow us to entertain same-sex relationships,” he said in an interview on Rainbow radio.

APC flagbearer Ayariga

Hassan Ayariga, the flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), has urged President Akufo-Addo to endorse the anti-LGBT+ bill to curtail LGBT+ activism in the country.

Ayariga has emphasized the bill’s significance in upholding traditional family values and protecting Ghanaian cultural heritage.

“President Akufo Addo should not waste our time. We are people with various traditional beliefs. As you are here, you saw the observation of the Christian prayers and the Islamic prayers. All of us have cultures and traditions, and our culture and tradition encourages us to be productive and that is why we can produce by giving birth to children.

“The LGBT+ denies the human right to produce, which defies the natural order by encouraging human marriage to animals and non-living things. That’s the unfortunate purpose for the LGBT+ advocacy.

“So for me, President Nana Akufo-Addo should not waste the time of Ghanaians on the LGBT+ Bill. He should sign this bill into law to give us peace straight away.

“I just want him to understand that Ghanaians will not allow him to change our cultural and religious values as a president for anything, including for donors from our foreign partners. I don’t think those pushing the president not to sign the bill can lead the same advocacy in the Arabian countries,” he said at his party’s 3rd Annual National Conference in Kumasi.