The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has decided not to disqualify Zakaria Abdulai, the interdicted headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), from contesting the Juaben Constituency chairmanship election despite allegations of rape and sexual abuse involving female students.
The party’s Functional Executive Committee (FEC) announced the decision in a statement dated Monday, October 19, 2026, saying it had considered the allegations, reports on the matter and the need to respect the constitutional rights of all parties while criminal investigations continue.
Mr. Abdulai, who also serves as the NDC Constituency Secretary for Juaben in the Ashanti Region, was the subject of an investigation by JoyNews investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, titled ‘Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow’.
The investigation reported allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students at the school. The number of students who had reportedly come forward rose from 16 to 19, according to Manasseh Azure Awuni’s disclosure on JoyNews on October 18.
According to the JoyNews investigation, the school’s Girl Child Coordinator and safeguarding officer petitioned management in February 2026, while five students reportedly made complaints to the Obuasi West Municipal Education Directorate in March. Further alleged incidents were reported in June and July.
The NDC said its FEC initially took the position that Mr. Abdulai should either resign voluntarily or be disqualified from the Juaben Constituency chairmanship race.
However, the committee later invited him to present his side of the matter before reconsidering its position.
“The Party considers these allegations extremely serious. The NDC has zero tolerance for sexual abuse and harassment in any form, particularly against students entrusted to the care of teachers and school authorities,” the statement said.
The FEC said it considered a report by a Ghana Education Service (GES) committee, the investigative report by Manasseh Azure Awuni and a directive from Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu referring the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The minister directed the CID to conduct a comprehensive criminal investigation and ordered the GES to interdict Mr. Abdulai pending the outcome of investigations.
Explaining its decision to retain him in the party’s internal election, the FEC said:
“Having carefully considered all of the above, FEC resolved that the Party must tread with caution and respect the constitutional rights of all parties involved, including the presumption of innocence, while the matter remains under criminal investigation. Taking this into account, together with the timelines of the ongoing electoral process, FEC has resolved not to disqualify Mr Abdulai from the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship contest at this stage. This represents the official position of the Party on the matter.”
The NDC stressed that its decision does not amount to a determination of the allegations or an endorsement of Mr. Abdulai’s conduct.
“This decision is in no way a determination of the merits of the allegations, which remain the responsibility of the Police and the courts,” the statement said.
The party called for a thorough, independent and speedy investigation by the CID and urged anyone with relevant information to cooperate with investigators.
It also cautioned against attempts to intimidate or pressure complainants and witnesses, while calling for the privacy, safety and dignity of the alleged victims to be protected.
