The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended its decision to allow Zakaria Abdulai, headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, to remain in the race for the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship despite allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students.
In a statement dated October 19, the party said its decision followed further consideration of the matter and the need to uphold the principles of fairness and natural justice.
The NDC disclosed that its initial position was for Abdulai to either resign voluntarily or be disqualified from the contest. However, the committee later invited him to present his side of the matter before making a final determination on his participation in the ongoing internal electoral process.
According to the party, the committee considered the report of the Ghana Education Service (GES) committee that investigated the matter, an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, and a directive from the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, referring the allegations to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for a comprehensive criminal investigation.
After reviewing the available information, the FEC resolved to allow Abdulai to remain in the contest for now, citing the need to respect the constitutional rights of all parties involved.
The party further argued that the presumption of innocence must be upheld while the allegations remain under criminal investigation. It also said the timelines of the ongoing internal electoral process informed its decision.
The NDC, however, reserved the right to reconsider its position depending on the outcome of the investigations.
The decision means Abdulai will not be disqualified from the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship race at this stage, while the criminal investigation into the allegations continues.
Discussion about this post