GPCC rallies behind President Mahama after US University cancels honorary doctorate over LGBTQI+ stance

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has thrown its full weight behind President John Dramani Mahama, following the controversial cancellation of an honorary doctorate award by a United States university, which cited the President’s opposition to LGBTQI+ practices.

In a statement released on March 26, 2026, the Council, which represents over 260 church denominations and para-church organisations, expressed confidence in the President’s leadership, asserting that he would steer Ghana away from what it termed the “LGBTQI+ agenda.”

The declaration comes in response to a decision by Lincoln University in Pennsylvania to scrap a planned conferment of an honorary doctorate on President Mahama. The award, scheduled for March 26, 2026, was intended to recognise his contributions to public service and global leadership.

According to the Ghana Embassy in the US, the university’s decision was directly linked to President Mahama’s public stance against the promotion of LGBTQI+ activities and the ongoing parliamentary efforts in Ghana to enact legislation outlawing such practices.

A Sovereign Stance

In its statement, signed by its President, Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye, the GPCC emphasised Ghana’s sovereignty and cultural integrity.

“Although Ghana, as a sovereign country, does not harbour hatred nor discriminate against persons of LGBTQI+ inclination, the cultural values of the traditional Ghanaian society and almost the entirety of its religious architecture, in unison, detest those foreign practices,” the statement read.

The Council highlighted that the Christian faith, which it says constitutes over 71 per cent of the population, “totally abhorred the ideological ethos and practices of LGBTQI+.”

Solidarity and Support

The GPCC described the reported reason for the cancellation as being “of utmost interest to the entire GPCC fraternity,” stating that silence on the matter would be a “great disservice to God and our numerous constituent members.”

“The GPCC, therefore, stands in total solidarity with our beloved President, John Dramani Mahama, on this matter,” the statement emphasised. “We remain poised to support him even when further consequential actions follow the ill-advised decision of Lincoln University.”

The Council concluded by wishing the President well in “his noble crusade against that which is patently unrighteous and thus flies in the face of sound religion,” affirming its “unequivocal and unalloyed support.”

President Mahama has consistently stated his opposition to the mainstreaming of LGBTQI+ practices in Ghana, arguing that they contradict local culture and religious values. He has committed to supporting legislation that would outlaw such practices in the country.