The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has directed the suspended headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai, to withdraw his bid for the party’s Juaben constituency chairmanship or face disqualification.
Deputy National Communications Director Julius Anthony disclosed the directive on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, saying the party’s national leadership had communicated its position 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 said the decision was informed by ongoing law enforcement investigations into the headmaster.
“Our rationale is simple: this person is currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies who essentially report to our government,” he explained.
Mr Abdulai, who also serves as the NDC’s Juaben constituency secretary, has come under scrutiny following a JoyNews investigation by Manasseh Azure Awuni into allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students.
The documentary, Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, also examined how authorities handled complaints against him.
On October 13, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu directed the Ghana Education Service to suspend Mr Abdulai pending a full investigation.
The minister also requested the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters to investigate the allegations.
The documentary found that students, parents and teachers had submitted complaints to school management, education officials and other authorities before the suspension.
It raised questions about delays in investigating those complaints and alleged interventions by influential figures.
When contacted during the investigation, Mr Abdulai declined to comment on the allegations, citing ongoing police and GES investigations.
The allegations remain under investigation. Mr Anthony’s announcement sets out the party’s position on the headmaster’s bid for the chairmanship while those inquiries continue.