Mr Zakaria Abdulai has formally resigned from his position as the Juaben Constituency Secretary of the National Democratic Congress and withdrawn his candidature for the constituency chairmanship position, effective immediately.
In a letter addressed to the party's General Secretary on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Mr Abdulai said his decision followed the party's directive for him to step aside to allow an unhindered investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
"I write to formally notify you of my decision to resign from my position as the incumbent Secretary of the Juaben Constituency of the National Democratic Congress, with immediate effect," he wrote.
"I also wish to formally withdraw my candidature for the position of Constituency Chairman in the forthcoming NDC constituency elections, effective immediately."
Gratitude to supporters
Mr Abdulai expressed profound gratitude to his friends, relatives and well-wishers who had stood by him and maintained their faith in his innocence in the face of the allegations levelled against him and his office.
He also expressed gratitude to the party for the opportunity to serve as both a member and an officer, describing it as a privilege to contribute to the growth and development of a political tradition he deeply loves and cherishes.
Vindication
Mr Abdulai said he intended to devote his attention and resources to pursuing all lawful avenues to clear his name and vindicate his position.
"I remain hopeful that, once these matters are resolved, I will be able to return to active political engagement and continue contributing to the ideals and aspirations of the NDC," he said.
The letter was copied to the National Chairman of the party and the Ashanti Regional Chairman.
Background
Mr Abdulai, who is also the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, had picked nomination forms to contest the Juaben Constituency chairmanship position. His candidature became a subject of public concern after he was suspended by the Ghana Education Service over allegations of sexual misconduct involving female students at the school.
The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, had directed the Ghana Education Service to suspend him pending full investigations and requested the police to commence investigations into the matter.
The party's Functional Executive Committee, in a press release dated October 20, 2026, directed that Mr Abdulai step aside from the chairmanship race in the overriding interest of transparency and accountability, to allow for an unhindered investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service. The party emphasised that the directive was not a determination of the merits of the allegations and that Mr Abdulai remained entitled to the presumption of innocence.
