The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cleared the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, to contest the party’s constituency chairmanship race despite facing sexual abuse allegations.
The party says the embattled headmaster can file his nomination and contest while investigations continue, but cautions that election victory will not protect him from removal.
Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Foyo Gbande, announced the party’s new position on Joy News on Monday, October 19, 2026, saying the decision was taken after Abdulai appeared before the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) to respond to the allegations.
The Functional Executive Committee had earlier directed Abdulai to withdraw from the contest. The party had said he Abdulai would be disqualified if he contest.
However, Gbande says the position has changed. “He can now file and proceed,” he said.
He described the earlier directive as preliminary, saying the party needed to hear from the aspirant before taking a final decision.
“Indeed, it is true. Those were preliminary directives that were taken,” he noted.
Gbande said the committee considered ongoing processes, including a directive from the Ministry of Education and an investigation by the Ghana Education Service (GES), before arriving at the decision.
He disclosed that Abdulai informed the committee that he has filed lawsuits against some persons linked to the matter, though he could not confirm if the suits relate to defamation.
The allegations against the headmaster are contained in investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s documentary titled Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, which focuses on alleged sexual abuse of female students at Obuasi SHTS.
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on October 13 ordered the GES to interdict Abdulai pending investigations and has also petitioned the Police CID to probe the matter.
According to Gbande, the party is balancing the aspirant’s rights with the need to allow the investigations to proceed.
“We have given him an opportunity to state his case, and so I wouldn’t be his PRO,” he stated.
He said the General Secretary is monitoring the investigations closely and the outcome will determine the party’s next line of action. “He would have to go and make his own case,” he said.
He added that the party has made it clear to Abdulai that he risks being removed from office even if he wins the chairmanship should he be found culpable.
“But in the meantime, we think that, given the nature of the processes that have been triggered, it is only prudent and right that the party proceed with caution and follow the story keenly as it unravels,” he said.
NDC orders suspended Obuasi SHTS headmaster to withdraw from Juaben contest
