Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, the 2024 Vice-Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, has called on Parliament to re-engage and reconsider the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.

This call follows the controversy surrounding its recent passage.

He said Parliament should revisit the Bill to ensure broader consensus and address concerns raised by the leadership of the House over the circumstances under which it was passed.

Speaking to journalists after an engagement with students of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana on the “Time with the Politician” series, Dr Opoku-Prempeh said the matter required careful reconsideration.

“Parliament should re-engage itself on the bill,” he said when asked about the way forward on the controversy.

Pressed further on what he meant by reconsideration, he explained: “Parliament should re-engage for the consideration of the bill. The passage is the last part of the consideration of the bill.”

Dr Opoku-Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, said he had been surprised by developments surrounding the legislation and the concerns publicly expressed by both President John Dramani Mahama and Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

“The way the President and the Speaker spoke out showed that something really untoward had happened, and that is why the Speaker hinted at reconsideration of the bill,” he said.

He argued that an issue such as LGBTQ rights required broad consensus and careful parliamentary engagement.

“If the Speaker said he was not aware that it was going to end with the bill on that day, and a matter such as LGBTQ needs a broader consensus, then we should take a cue,” he stated.

The call by Dr Opoku-Prempeh comes days after Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, a legislation that prescribes sanctions for persons who engage in or promote LGBTQ activities.

However, Speaker Bagbin has since directed Parliament to reconsider the Bill after concerns emerged over procedural issues surrounding its passage.

The Speaker said the integrity of Parliament and public confidence in its legislative processes must be upheld, prompting renewed debate over the future of the legislation.

Dr Opoku-Prempeh used the forum to stress the importance of leadership and political education, telling students that the success of governments depended not only on presidents but also on the quality of ministers and public officials who supported them.

He encouraged political actors and national leaders to document their experiences through books and memoirs to preserve Ghana’s political history for future generations.

The event formed part of an initiative by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana to provide students with opportunities to interact with experienced political leaders and gain practical insights into governance and public service.

Mrs Anna Wasserfall, Country Representative of KAS Ghana, said the programme sought to bridge the gap between political theory and practice by exposing students to real-life experiences of leaders who had operated at the centre of decision-making.

She urged students to actively participate in democratic processes and engage critically with public affairs.