The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made a dramatic U-turn on its decision to allow the embattled Headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Mr Zakaria Abdulai, to contest the party’s Juaben Constituency Chairmanship in the Ashanti Region.
Barely 24 hours after announcing that Mr Abdulai would remain in the race despite allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students, the party has directed him to step aside to allow for an unhindered criminal investigation.
The latest decision reverses the position announced by the party’s Functional Executive Committee (FEC) on Monday, October 19, 2026, when it resolved not to disqualify Mr Abdulai, citing fairness, natural justice and the presumption of innocence.
In a fresh statement signed by the NDC General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the party said further consideration of the matter had necessitated a change in its earlier position.
“After further consideration, FEC has directed that Mr Zakaria Abdulai step aside, in the overriding interest of transparency and accountability, to allow for an unhindered investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service,” the statement said.
The party, however, maintained that the directive did not constitute a finding of wrongdoing against Mr Abdulai.
It stressed that he remained entitled to the presumption of innocence while the allegations were being investigated.
Earlier Decision
The latest development marks a significant shift from the position adopted by the FEC on Monday, when it decided against disqualifying Mr Abdulai from the constituency chairmanship contest.
That decision followed the committee’s consideration of an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, a Ghana Education Service (GES) committee report and a directive by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, referring the matter to the CID.
According to the party’s earlier statement, the FEC initially considered asking Mr Abdulai to resign voluntarily or disqualifying him from the contest.
However, after inviting him to respond to the allegations, the committee resolved that it would be appropriate to respect his constitutional rights while the criminal investigation continued.
The party also cited the timelines of its ongoing internal electoral process in arriving at that decision.
It subsequently announced that Mr Abdulai would not be disqualified at that stage, although it reserved the right to review its position depending on the outcome of investigations.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Mr Abdulai, who also serves as the NDC Constituency Secretary for Juaben, has been accused of sexual misconduct involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
The allegations attracted public attention following media reports, including an investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
The GES has interdicted Mr Abdulai pending investigations, while the Education Minister has directed the CID to undertake a comprehensive criminal investigation into the matter, according to the NDC’s earlier statement.
The party had previously described the allegations as extremely serious, declaring that it maintained zero tolerance for sexual abuse and harassment, particularly involving students entrusted to the care of teachers and school authorities.
Election Committees Directed
Under the latest directive, the NDC has instructed its Ashanti Regional Election Committee and the Juaben Constituency Election Committee to take note of the decision and act accordingly.
The statement, however, did not specify whether Mr Abdulai’s candidature had been formally cancelled or whether the directive amounted to a temporary suspension pending the outcome of investigations.
The FEC expressed confidence that the CID would conduct a thorough, fair and expeditious investigation.
It also indicated that the party would be guided by the outcome of the criminal investigation.
The latest decision effectively halts Mr Abdulai’s participation in the chairmanship contest for now, marking a reversal of the party’s earlier position that he should remain in the race while investigations continued.
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