The National Democratic Congress has justified its choice to allow Zakaria Abdulai, the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, to remain in the Juaben Constituency chairmanship contest despite allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students.
In an official statement issued on October 19, the party explained that the decision stems from its commitment to constitutional rights, fairness, and natural justice. The leadership noted that its preliminary inclination was to demand Abdulai’s voluntary resignation or enforce an immediate disqualification. However, to ensure a balanced approach, the Functional Executive Committee engaged the aspirant directly to hear his defense before reaching a conclusion.
The executive body based its assessment on multiple sources, including findings from a Ghana Education Service investigative panel, an inquiry by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, and a directive from Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu instructing the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to conduct a full criminal probe.
With law enforcement now handling the matter, the party emphasized that the presumption of innocence must be respected alongside the demanding schedule of its internal elections. Consequently, Abdulai remains eligible to compete for the constituency executive role, though the party leadership maintains the authority to review his status as formal legal proceedings progress.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana