Former Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Atta Akyea, has questioned the practicality of efforts to halt the progression of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, insisting that the legislation has already been validly passed by Parliament.
His comments follow concerns raised by Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who has called for a review of the circumstances surrounding the bill’s passage before it is forwarded to the President for assent.
Speaking on Citi FM on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Mr Atta Akyea argued that once Parliament has completed consideration of a bill and the presiding officer has formally declared it passed, reversing that decision becomes a significant procedural challenge.
According to him, the legislation was approved while the First Deputy Speaker was presiding over proceedings in the House, making the process constitutionally valid.
“I believe it is water under the bridge because if it’s been passed, he was not there physically. But the First Deputy Speaker presided over affairs and then handed down the gavel; that is the end of the matter. The Bill is duly passed. I believe it is too late in the day to reverse it. Moreso when the next stage of trying to conclude the matter is for the presidential assent to be given,” he stated.
The former lawmaker further expressed doubt about the legal or procedural avenues available to reopen the matter after Parliament had concluded its work on the legislation.
“I wonder how the Speaker is going to use any of the rules to reverse what has been concluded. Maybe he has more superior thinking of the matter than myself but it is a very tall order,” he added.
Mr Atta Akyea maintained that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ Bill, has effectively completed its parliamentary journey and should ordinarily proceed to the next constitutional stage of presidential consideration and assent.
Parliament passed the bill on May 29, 2026. However, concerns raised by the Speaker regarding aspects of the legislative process have triggered fresh debate over whether the bill should be reconsidered before being transmitted to the President.
