The Cross River State House of Assembly recently approved the second reading of a bill aimed at banning same-sex marriages and civil unions. Introduced by Hilary Ekpang Bisong, who represents Boki II, alongside ten additional legislators, the bill intends to deny legal recognition to any same-sex unions formed within the state, across the nation, or internationally.
Known as the ‘Bill for a Law to Prohibit Contract of Marriage or Civil Union Entered into Between Persons of Same Sex, Solemnization of Same, Whether Cultural or in Accordance with Any Statute in Existence, and for Matters Connected Therewith, 2026’, the legislation defines valid marriages strictly as unions between a man and a woman. It also outlines penalties for individuals who participate in, promote, or assist with such unions.
On Tuesday, lawmakers reached a unanimous decision to support the bill. They argued that the measure is necessary to defend the region’s moral, cultural, and family standards. Speaker Elvert Ayambem emphasized that the House feels a strong responsibility to protect the traditional definition of marriage.
Ayambem noted that the legislature remains committed to rejecting any practices that conflict with local religious and cultural traditions. He affirmed that the Assembly views its role as protecting the collective values held by the citizens of Cross River State by maintaining the status of marriage as a bond exclusively between a man and a woman.
