Member of Parliament for Yilo Krobo, Albert Tetteh Nyakotey, has defended President John Mahama over concerns about the status of the controversial LGBTQ+ bill.

He insists the President will assent to it when it is formally presented.

Speaking on Joy News' PM Express on Tuesday, the MP aligned himself with the presidency’s recent position that the issue is not an immediate national priority.

The presidency has come under scrutiny after indicating that LGBTQ matters are currently not a priority for the government, sparking debate about its commitment to the proposed legislation.

But Mr Nyakotey said the President’s position must be understood within context.

“I will say yes, I agree with the President. What I heard the President say was that the bill is not a priority now, and whether it’s a priority or not depends on the context.”

He pointed to developments under former President Nana Akufo-Addo to explain the sensitivity surrounding the issue.

“During the time of President Akufo-Addo, we remember on the 31st of January, I think 2021, there was an advocacy centre that was opened at Osu. And then not long after, the President was interviewed, and he said that LGBTQ rights were bound to be granted. This is what he said at the time.”

According to him, those comments triggered public anxiety and strong reactions.

“So naturally, there was a lot of agitation because people did not have confidence in the President that he was going to do the right thing. Once we had the elections, the agitations went down.”

Mr Nyakotey argued that President Mahama has since made Ghana’s position clear on the international stage.

“And if you remember, even on your news item of March 27, 2026, in the US, the President insisted, and defended the stance of Ghana and the stance of the government, that the international community should not come and impose any ideas on us.”

He stressed that the President has already signalled his readiness to act once the legislative process is complete.

“So the President defended it and said that once it gets to him, it’s going to be signed.”

The MP clarified that the current delay is procedural, not political.

“This is a private members' bill, which is initiated by a group of individuals. So today, as we are speaking, there’s no document before the President to sign.”

He maintained that once the bill is properly transmitted, there will be no hesitation from the presidency.

“I believe strongly that once we transmit a document or put a before the President, the President is going to sign it.”