The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has directed suspended Obuasi Senior High Technical School headmaster Zakaria Abdulai to withdraw from the race for Juaben constituency chairman or risk disqualification.
The party’s Deputy National Communications Director, Julius Anthony, disclosed this on JoyNews’ The Probe, saying the national leadership had formally communicated its decision to Mr Abdulai.
“The party has directed; withdraw your attempts to contest for the chairmanship or be disqualified. That is the party’s position, well communicated to the headmaster,” he said.
Mr Anthony explained that the directive was influenced by ongoing investigations into allegations against the headmaster, noting that the party considered it inappropriate for him to pursue the constituency leadership position while the matter remained under investigation.
“Our rationale is simple: this person is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies who essentially report to our government,” he stated.
Mr Abdulai, who also serves as the NDC’s Juaben constituency secretary, has come under scrutiny following an investigative documentary by JoyNews journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow.
The investigation examined allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students, as well as the handling of complaints submitted to school authorities and other relevant institutions.
The documentary revealed that students, parents and teachers had reportedly lodged complaints against the headmaster with school management, education officials and other authorities before his suspension. It also raised concerns about delays in addressing the complaints and alleged interventions by influential individuals.
On October 13, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to suspend Mr Abdulai pending a full investigation into the allegations. The minister also asked the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the matter.
During the JoyNews investigation, Mr Abdulai declined to comment on the allegations, citing the ongoing investigations by the police and the GES.
The allegations against him remain under investigation, while the NDC’s directive places his bid for the Juaben constituency chairmanship in jeopardy if he fails to withdraw from the contest.
