President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed the honour he still holds for Lincoln University, despite the institution’s decision not to award him an honorary doctorate over the his alleged stance on LGBTQ+ issues.
Mahama addressed the lingering issue, which has drawn cultural and sovereignty sentiments, as Ghana makes a second attempt to criminalize same-sex marriage and related activities, despite the stalemate in the earlier bill.
The Ghana Embassy in Washington described as regrettable the cancellation of the 26 March 2026 event, which was scheduled to award President John Dramani Mahama an honorary doctorate in recognition of his efforts toward reparatory justice.
Speaking at the Diaspora Community Dialogue, convened by the US-Ghana Chamber of Commerce and the Ghana Embassy in the United States at Temple University, Mahama reaffirmed that Lincoln University is “sacred” to Ghana, despite the setback regarding the honorary doctorate.
He highlighted the role the institution played in shaping the intellect and ideology of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, whose pursuit of Ghanaian independence spiraled into a continental liberation movement. He emphasized that the university deserves the highest level of respect from Ghanaians.
“There’s a historic link between Ghana and Lincoln University. Whatever disagreements have come up for me, Lincoln University holds a special place in my heart. These are hallowed grounds for Ghana. It is part of our history,” he said.
“That is where our first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was nurtured with his intellectual capacity and his pan-African spirit. And it was from there he took that spark and led the liberation struggle not only in Ghana but across the African continent. And so the grounds of Lincoln are hallowed grounds for Ghanaians and will continue to hold that institution in the highest regard,” he added.
The bill, formally known as the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, was first introduced in 2021 and has undergone repeated attempts to push it through Ghana’s legislature. It aims to impose wide‑ranging restrictions and criminal sanctions on same‑sex relations, LGBTQ+ advocacy and related activities.
In February 2024, the Parliament of Ghana passed the bill with bipartisan support. However, it never became law because it lapsed after Parliament dissolved before it could be signed by the president.
After the 2024 general elections and the start of the new legislative session, a group of MPs reintroduced the bill in October 2025. It was placed on Parliament’s order of business for a first reading, but the session was adjourned before the reading could take place, and legislative action stalled.
Supporters of the bill in Parliament argue that the legislation would uphold what they describe as “proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values”, while opponents argue that it risks violating constitutional rights and subjecting LGBTQ+ individuals to discrimination.
As of now, the bill is still pending legislative consideration and must proceed from its current stage, renewed introduction and ordering for debate and readings, through the full parliamentary process before it can become law.
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