By Daniel Bampoe
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made another dramatic U-turn in its handling of the sexual assault allegations against Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, directing him to step aside from the party’s internal electoral process to allow an unhindered police investigation into the case.
The decision, announced in a press release dated Tuesday, October 20, 2026, comes barely a day after the party defended its earlier decision to allow Abdulai to contest the Juaben Constituency chairmanship election despite the serious allegations against him where about 20 girls were said to have been sexually assaulted.
The latest development has intensified scrutiny of the party’s handling of the controversy, with questions being raised about why it initially permitted him to remain in the race before reversing its position.
In its latest statement, the NDC’s Functional Executive Committee (FEC) said that, after further consideration, it had directed Abdulai to step aside in the overriding interest of transparency and accountability. The party explained that the decision was intended to ensure that investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service could proceed without obstruction.
The party, however, stressed that the directive should not be interpreted as a determination of the merits of the allegations against Abdulai, adding that he remained entitled to the presumption of innocence. It said it expected the CID to conduct a thorough, fair and expeditious investigation and would be guided by the outcome.
The statement, signed by NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, also directed the Ashanti Regional Election Committee and the Juaben Constituency Election Committee to take note of the decision and act accordingly.
NDC Reverses Monday’s Decision to Allow Abdulai to Contest
The latest directive represents a significant reversal of the position the party communicated on Monday, October 19, 2026, when it announced that Abdulai could continue with his bid for the Juaben Constituency chairmanship after appearing before the Functional Executive Committee.
In its earlier statement, the NDC explained that it had reconsidered its initial position after giving Abdulai an opportunity to present his side of the controversy. The party said it had considered a Ghana Education Service (GES) committee report, an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s directive for a criminal investigation.
The party maintained that allowing Abdulai to contest did not amount to clearing him of the allegations. It also argued that fairness, natural justice and the presumption of innocence required that he be heard before a final determination was made.
NDC Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande reinforced that position during an appearance on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, saying that permission to contest the internal election should not be confused with an endorsement of Abdulai’s conduct.
Gbande indicated that the party could take disciplinary action if investigations established wrongdoing.
However, less than 24 hours after that defence, the FEC issued its latest directive requiring Abdulai to step aside.
Although the party did not explicitly state that it had acted because of public pressure, the reversal comes amid mounting public concern over the allegations and the handling of the case.
The sequence of events has raised questions about the considerations behind the NDC’s initial decision and what prompted the committee to reconsider its position so quickly.
Police Confirm Docket Sent to Attorney-General
The NDC’s latest decision comes against the background of an ongoing criminal investigation into an alleged rape involving Abdulai and a 20-year-old Form Two student of Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
According to a police press release dated October 16, 2026, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ashanti South Region, based in Bekwai, forwarded the case docket to the Attorney-General’s Office for study and advice.
The police said the student, accompanied by her father, reported the alleged incident at the Obuasi DOVVSU office on August 4, 2026. In her complaint, she alleged that the headmaster forcibly had sexual intercourse with her on July 25, 2026, at his official bungalow on the school campus.
The police account states that the student alleged she had gone to an area near the headmaster’s residence where students dry their clothes when Abdulai asked her to enter his residence to undertake an errand for him.
According to the complaint as summarised by the police, the student alleged that the headmaster began touching her against her will before dragging her into his bedroom, where the alleged rape occurred. She further alleged that he gave her GH¢100 afterwards to prevent her from speaking about the incident.
These details form part of the allegations reported to the police and have not, in themselves, established Abdulai’s guilt.The police stated that investigative procedures, including a medical examination, reconstruction of the scene, photographs and witness statements, had been completed before the docket was forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Office.
The submission of the docket means the case has reached a stage where prosecutorial authorities are expected to study the available evidence and advise on the appropriate next steps. It does not, by itself, constitute a conviction or a final determination of the allegations.
The police also assured the public that efforts were being made to establish the facts of the case.
