The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended its decision to allow Obuasi Senior High Technical School headmaster Zakaria Abdulai to contest the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship election despite allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students.

In a statement issued on October 19, the party said its decision was guided by the principles of fairness, natural justice and the need to respect the constitutional rights of all parties involved.

The NDC disclosed that its initial position was for Abdulai to voluntarily resign from the contest or face disqualification from the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship race.

However, after further consideration, the committee 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, its decision followed a review of the report by the Ghana Education Service (GES) committee that investigated the allegations, an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and a directive from the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu.

The Education Minister had referred the allegations to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for a comprehensive criminal investigation.

After assessing the available information, the FEC resolved to allow Abdulai to remain in the race for now, emphasising that the allegations were still subject to ongoing investigations.

The party said the presumption of innocence remained a key consideration in its decision, adding that it also took into account the timelines of the ongoing constituency-level elections.

The NDC stressed that allowing Abdulai to contest did not amount to a declaration of his innocence or prevent the party from taking further action if subsequent findings warranted a review of its position.

The decision leaves Abdulai eligible to pursue the Juaben Constituency Chairmanship while the relevant investigative processes continue.

The party has, however, reserved the right to reconsider its position based on the outcome of the investigations.