A political scientist at the University of Ghana, Prof Kobby Mensah, doubts that the anti-LGBTQ+ bill will dominate discourse around the upcoming election campaign.

He said the economy is in a bad state and that will rather be of importance to voters.

According to him, because people are preoccupied with daily life struggles, it is difficult for such issues to dominate political discourse during the election period.

After nearly three years of deliberation, Ghana's parliament passed a controversial bill criminalising LGBTQ+ practices and advocacy.

Several groups have since mounted pressure on President Nana Akufo-Addo, with some urging him to sign it into law, and others warning that assenting to the bill could result in the loss of much-needed international funding.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Friday, April 12, Prof Mensah noted that unless the back and forth over the bill reaches a crescendo, it will not be an issue in the election discourse.

He highlighted the potential conflict between President Akufo-Addo's assent to the bill and an ongoing legal case, the potential implications of the IMF bailout and the economy as issues that may receive more attention.

"Of course, the LGBTQ issue may become part of the key conversation of the campaign and actually influence people's opinions or voters’ choices, but I do not foresee it becoming a central point because of the number one issue, which is the economy,” he said.

Prof. Mensah stated that Vice President and flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has recently made his stance against LGBTQ+ clear and may face consequences in the upcoming election.

Prof. Mensah gave the example of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential race, where Clinton ran an advertisement questioning Obama's judgment in a crisis.

“Hillary did an ad and said 'At 2 a.m. when your generals are not around you and you are called that Mr President, America is on fire, what would be your response?' Exactly what are the moments Bawumia failed to capture?

“In the heat of the moment when the issues are hotly burning that we are talking about it, can he stand the pressures of Vladimir Putin? Can he stand the pressures of, for example, the American president, whoever is there? Can he stand the egos of Israel? You do not have the character to do that.”