Rivalry between TAMASCO and GHANASCO reignited as Bawumia and Mahama are elected flagbearers

The rivalry between two of Ghana's most respected Senior High Schools in Northern Ghana – Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO) and Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) – both top schools in the Northern Region, has been rekindled after Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia won the presidential primary election of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday, months after John Mahama had won that of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Given that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are the dominant political parties in the country, it is almost certain that either John Mahama, a former student of Ghana Senior High School (Ghanasco), or Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a former student of Tamale Senior High School (Tamasco), will become President of the country after the 2024 Presidential Elections.

This prospect of having either John Mahama or Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as President in January 2025 has fanned the flames of a longstanding healthy rivalry between students and former students of these institutions. And since both flagbearers are active members of their old students' association, the race to have one of their own at the Jubilee House has intensified.

Following the declaration of Dr. Bawumia as the flagbearer (presidential candidate) of the NPP yesterday after the National Delegates Conference of the party, social media came alive with arguments and counterarguments about why a Tamascan (Dr. Bawumia) or a Ghanascan (John Mahama) was more suitable for the job of President of Ghana in 2025.

It appears the real 'showdown' will be between students and former students of Tamasco and Ghanasco instead of the NPP and NDC, as 'salvos' have already been fired.

The 'schemes' and 'strategies' of both schools will make for an interesting read in the days ahead.

Certified results announced by a Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, revealed that Dr. Bawumia polled 118,210 votes representing 61.47%, while his closest contender, Mr. Agyapong, polled 71,996 votes representing 37.41%.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto, who placed a distant third, polled 1,459 votes representing 0.76%, while Addai-Nimoh garnered a meager 731 representing 0.41%.

A total of 192,446 delegates voted in Saturday's presidential primary. The total valid votes were 193,346 with 900 votes rejected. Turnout was 94.63%.

Bawumia was predicted from the start to win the presidential primary, but he, however, failed to meet the target of 80% set by members of his campaign team.

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