The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) faces sanctions from the Catholic Bishops Conference in the 2024 election if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not sign the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill passed by Parliament on February 28 into law.

The religious organisation says it will ensure the refusal by the president costs the governing party.

The Finance Ministry expressed worries that such a move may compromise Ghana’s chances of getting GHS3 billion from the World Bank, but this position is upheld.

“The Presidency may have a structured engagement with local conservative forces such as religious bodies and faith-based organisations to communicate the economic implications of the passage of the ‘Anti-LGBTQ’ Bill and to build a stronger coalition and a framework for supporting key development initiative that is likely to be affected.”

It also added that “the President may have to defer assenting to the Bill until the court rules on the legal issues tabled by key national stakeholders (CSOs and CHRAJ),” excerpts of a 5-page document available to Metro TV said.

However, the Catholic Bishops Conference insists President Akufo-Addo assents to the bill or risk losing the 2024 elections.

Though worries over whether or not to incarcerate suspects are welcome, Very Rev. Fr. Clement Kwasi Adjei asserts that “it doesn’t mean that the LGBTQ activities, we should support it.”

“We will speak and we will continue to keep speaking against what we think is wrong,” he said  “If the President refuses to sign, and you know the implication for him [Nana Akufo-Addo] and his party. [I’m referring to] elections, voting… these things must not be hidden. We work in the villages, people are listening.”