The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has threatened to disqualify Zakaria Abdulai, the suspended headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, from contesting the party’s Juaben constituency chairmanship if he fails to withdraw his candidacy.
The party’s Deputy National Communications Director, Julius Anthony, said the national leadership had formally directed Mr Abdulai to abandon his bid because of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, Mr Anthony said the directive was intended to prevent the headmaster from pursuing the internal party contest while the investigations remained unresolved.
“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.
He explained that the party’s decision was influenced by the fact that Mr Abdulai was under investigation by law enforcement agencies.
“Our rationale is simple: this person is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies who essentially report to our government,” he added.
Investigations trigger party action
Mr Abdulai, who also serves as the NDC’s Juaben constituency secretary, has come under scrutiny following a JoyNews investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni into allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students.
The documentary, titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, examined the allegations against the headmaster and the handling of complaints reportedly submitted to school authorities and other institutions.
The investigation raised concerns about alleged delays in addressing the complaints and possible 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 Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters to investigate the matter.
The suspension followed revelations that students, parents and teachers had reportedly lodged complaints with school management, education officials and other authorities before the case came to wider public attention.
Headmaster declines comment
When contacted during the investigation, Mr Abdulai declined to comment on the allegations, citing ongoing investigations by the police and the GES.
The allegations against him remain under investigation, and no conclusion on his culpability has been established in the information provided.
The NDC’s directive means Mr Abdulai must withdraw his bid for the Juaben constituency chairmanship or risk disqualification from the contest.
The party has not indicated, in the announcement, whether any further disciplinary measures will be taken against him beyond the threat of disqualification from the chairmanship race.
