Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has suggested that Mahama Ayariga’s position on the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ Bill may have contributed to the decision to replace him as Majority Leader.

Mr Kpebu, however, stressed that his view was based on his analysis of developments surrounding the Bill and should not be interpreted as a confirmed reason from the government or the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking on TV3 on Saturday, August 8, he pointed to what he described as conflicting positions taken by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and Mr Ayariga over the status of the Bill.

According to Mr Kpebu, the Speaker has maintained that parliamentary procedures were breached in the handling of the Bill and has raised the possibility of it being reconsidered.

Mr Ayariga, on the other hand, has maintained that Parliament has already passed the legislation and that it should proceed to the President for assent.

“The Majority Leader is the leader. This is his position that the bill has been passed. The President, go ahead and sign,” Mr Kpebu said.

He argued that Mr Ayariga's position could make it difficult for the Majority in Parliament to pursue any attempt to reconsider the Bill in line with the position expressed by the Speaker and President John Mahama.

“As long as Ayariga remains Majority Leader, it is going to be very difficult to go back and reconsider the bill as the Speaker and President Mahama are saying,” he stated.

Mr Kpebu said the disagreement could therefore provide a “rational basis” for the change in the Majority leadership, although he acknowledged that other factors could have influenced the decision.

He argued that the issue could not be discounted because of the considerable domestic and international attention the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has attracted.

“This is a bill that even when Kamala Harris, U.S. Vice President, came, she had issues with it,” he said.

Mr Kpebu recalled concerns about the potential implications of the legislation for Ghana’s relations with its development partners, arguing that the matter extends beyond domestic politics.

He maintained that reconsidering the Bill could prove difficult with a Majority Leader who firmly believes Parliament has already completed its work on the legislation.

“There’s no way you are going to get Ayariga as Majority Leader and then what the Speaker is speaking about, bringing the bill back for reconsideration, etcetera, would happen under Ayariga’s leadership,” he said.

Mr Kpebu consequently suggested that a change in the Majority leadership could provide room for a different approach to the contentious Bill.

He was, however, careful not to present his interpretation as the official reason for Mr Ayariga's removal.

“What I’m saying is that, if you are doing rational analysis, you cannot discount that one,” he stressed.