The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has mounted fresh pressure on Ghana’s religious leadership to demand decisive action from President John Dramani Mahama on the long-debated Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Rev. Fordjour accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of deliberately misleading the clergy and traditional authorities to secure political power, only to retreat from its earlier commitments.

“We have called you here today to address a matter of grave national importance—a matter that exposes the highest order of political deceit, hypocrisy, and double standards,” he declared.

Rev. Fordjour told religious leaders that they have played an important role in shaping public opinion about the bill and should continue to speak out.

“For years, the NDC weaponized the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, using it as a political tool to deceive the clergy, our revered traditional leaders, and the good people of Ghana,” he said.

He insisted that the same religious bodies must now take the lead in demanding accountability, urging them to confront what he described as a clear policy reversal by the government.

“We call on the Clergy, traditional rulers, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to call the NDC and President John Dramani Mahama out on their U-turn… and to maintain their spirited advocacy for the passage of the pending bill,” Rev. Fordjour stressed.

The Assin South MP said the NDC has changed its approach, going from strongly supporting the bill when in opposition to being cautious and careful now that it is in government.

He recalled that during the 2024 election campaign, President Mahama “explicitly pledged to sign the bill into law,” presenting himself as “the ultimate, uncompromising defender of our family values.”

However, he noted that after assuming office, the narrative changed.

In a video address to religious leaders in early 2025, the President reportedly described the earlier bill as “effectively dead” and suggested that a new, government-backed version should be pursued after consultations.

Rev. Fordjour interpreted this as the beginning of a retreat.

“This was the first clear signal of a shift from rhetoric to risk management,” he said.

The NPP lawmaker further cited recent remarks by the President indicating that the bill was no longer a priority for his administration.

“He stated that his government remains focused on ‘basic needs’ and that the anti-LGBTQ+ bill is not a priority,” Rev. Fordjour said, questioning the timing of that position.

“To advocate so aggressively for a policy in opposition, only to dismiss it as a low priority once in government, is the height of hypocrisy,” he added.

Rev. Fordjour argued that the clergy had been central to the political mobilisation around the bill and deserved an explanation.

“The NDC must apologize to the Christian Council, the Catholic Bishops Conference, the Office of the Chief Imam, and our traditional rulers for deceiving them into believing the party would treat this cause with the urgency it promised,” he stated.

He maintained that religious leaders should not remain silent, especially given the commitments made directly to them by the President.

“He looked our religious leaders in the face and stated, ‘Marriage is between a man and a woman… The family is the foundation of our nation,’” Rev. Fordjour recounted, adding that subsequent developments suggest a loss of urgency.

The Assin South MP called for a sustained pressure from the clergy to ensure that the bill is not sidelined.

“President John Dramani Mahama must come clean to the Ghanaian people,” he said, insisting that the President must state “unequivocally whether he intends to sign” the bill if passed again by Parliament.

Rev. Fordjour warned that without firm advocacy from religious and traditional authorities, the bill risks being “deprioritized at the altar of political convenience.”

He reiterated the NPP’s commitment to holding the government accountable, adding that the party would continue to push for the “will of the Ghanaian people” to be upheld.