The National Democratic Congress has ordered Zakaria Abdulai, the suspended headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, to withdraw from the Juaben constituency chairmanship race or face disqualification. Julius Anthony, the party’s Deputy National Communications Director, made the announcement on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, confirming the party’s national leadership had communicated its position directly to 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,” Anthony said.
Abdulai is also the Juaben constituency secretary for the NDC. His political ambitions have collided with serious allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and rape involving female students at the school he leads. These accusations emerged from a JoyNews investigation by Manasseh Azure Awuni, which included a documentary titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow.
The documentary detailed how students, parents, and teachers had previously submitted complaints to school management and education officials about Abdulai’s conduct. It also raised questions about delays in investigating these complaints and alleged interference by influential figures. The investigation found that authorities had not acted promptly before the Education Minister stepped in.
On October 13, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu ordered the Ghana Education Service to suspend Abdulai pending a full investigation. The minister also asked the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters to look into the allegations.
Abdulai declined to comment on the accusations during the investigation, citing ongoing police and Ghana Education Service inquiries. Julius Anthony explained the party’s decision stemmed from the ongoing law enforcement investigations that report to the government.
“Our rationale is simple: this person is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies who essentially report to our government,” Anthony said.
The NDC’s directive places Abdulai’s political ambitions on hold while the police and education authorities continue their investigations. The party’s position signals a zero-tolerance approach to candidates under legal scrutiny. At the same time, the allegations against Abdulai remain unconfirmed pending the conclusion of official inquiries.
The directive from the NDC adds pressure on Abdulai to step back from political contests amid the scrutiny over his conduct at Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
According to Joy Online.
