The President addressed Ghanaians in Philadelphia a day after the university cancelled his visit over the anti-gay bill
President John Dramani Mahama struck a conciliatory tone on Thursday after Lincoln University withdrew a planned honorary doctorate over his stance on Ghana’s proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation, telling Ghanaians in Philadelphia that the institution would always hold a special place in his heart.
“Whatever disagreements have arisen, Lincoln University holds a special place in my heart. It is where our first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was nurtured intellectually and shaped in his Pan-Africanist struggle. It remains hallowed ground for Ghanaians and an integral part of our history,” Mahama said.
The honorary doctorate had been intended to recognise Mahama’s contributions to public service, democratic governance, and global advocacy for justice, equality, and reparations, values that Lincoln University publicly champions.
Lincoln University cited “unforeseen circumstances” in a brief notice posted on its website, announcing the cancellation just two days before the scheduled March 26 ceremony. The Ghana Embassy in Washington subsequently confirmed that the reversal followed objections from a group within the university community over Mahama’s perceived position on Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, currently before Parliament.
The embassy noted that these concerns had not surfaced during the university’s earlier due diligence and vetting processes, despite what officials described as extensive engagement between both sides, including a full logistical walkthrough completed just one week before the scheduled event.
In November 2025, Mahama stated publicly that he would sign the bill if Parliament passed it, saying “if it comes to me as president, I will sign it.” Ghana’s Parliament first passed the legislation in 2024, but it expired without being signed by his predecessor. Lawmakers reintroduced the bill in February and renewed efforts to pass it for a second time.
The cancellation drew sharp reactions at home. Ho West Member of Parliament Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah criticised the university’s move as a departure from its own traditions, noting that penalising Mahama for positions he held consistently before taking office was difficult to justify.
Despite the diplomatic friction, Mahama declined to draw a line under the relationship. “We cannot separate Lincoln University from the story of Ghana, and we will continue to hold the institution in the highest esteem,” he said.
The President had been in New York earlier in the week to address the United Nations General Assembly, presenting a landmark resolution on behalf of the African Union seeking global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.
