By Hassan Adan

Libaan Ahmed Hassan, popularly known as Libaan Shuluq, was elected president of Somalia’s Galmudug State on Thursday, securing 72 votes in the regional parliament in a leadership transition marked by political divisions and controversy over the electoral process.

Libaan Ahmed Hassan defeated Abdulkadir Abdullahi Diriye, the candidate of the Sincad political organisation, who received 14 votes. Three ballots were declared spoiled, according to the results announced by Galmudug parliament Speaker Hussein Mohamed Nur.

In the vice-presidential election, Abdiweli Ibrahim Adan, popularly known as Garyare, won with 64 votes, defeating his Sincad rival, Abdisatar Mohamed Geelle, who received 22 votes.

The election was held in Dhusamareeb, the administrative capital of Galmudug State.

The state parliament has 89 members, 67 of whom belong to the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), giving the party a commanding majority in the legislature

The new president and his deputy will lead the federal member state for a five year term, amid security threats, local conflicts and demands for improved governance, reconciliation and public services.

Libaan’s victory drew congratulations from several opposition figures, including former prime ministers Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and Mohamed Hussein Roble, despite their earlier opposition to the electoral process in Galmudug.

Galmudug President Libaan Ahmed Hassan and his deputy, Abdiweli Ibrahim Adan (Garyare), take the oath of office after being elected by the regional parliament in Dhusamareeb on Thursday.

The congratulations came amid opposition criticism of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s one-person, one-vote electoral process in some federal member states, which opponents have described as “shambolic” and accused the government of using to predetermine election outcomes.

Sharmarke and Roble congratulated Libaan on his election, wishing him success as he prepares to take charge of the state.

Former Galmudug president Abdikarim Hussein Guled, who is also an opposition figure, said he had known and worked with Shuluq for a long time.

He described the incoming president as a leader familiar with Galmudug and its people.

Guled urged political figures from both the government and opposition to welcome the new administration and cooperate with it.

Abdirahman Hussein Odowaa, a member of Somalia’s federal parliament and a critic of the federal government’s electoral approach, also congratulated Shuluq through social media.

Odowaa has opposed the proposed implementation of a one-person, one-vote electoral system under the current political arrangements.

A Galmudug state lawmaker casts his ballot during the presidential and vice-presidential elections in Dhusamareeb on Thursday, in which Libaan Ahmed Hassan was elected president and Abdiweli Ibrahim Adan (Garyare) deputy president

In his congratulatory message, he expressed hope that the incoming president would promote unity, solidarity and understanding among Galmudug’s communities.

Outgoing Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye, widely known as Qoorqoor, also congratulated Shuluq and welcomed Garyare’s election as deputy president.

Qoorqoor expressed hope that God would ease the responsibilities entrusted to the incoming leadership.

He urged residents to support the new administration and work together to advance peace, reconciliation, unity and development.

The congratulations from opposition figures come despite earlier objections to the electoral arrangements, highlighting the political divisions surrounding the transition.

After the presidential election, heavy gunfire
was heard in Dhusamareeb and other major towns in Galmudug following the announcement of the results, amid celebrations over the election of the new president and his deputy.

Libaan Ahmed Hassan’s election completes the leadership transition following months of political negotiations and an electoral dispute that forced the cancellation of an earlier parliamentary poll.

Libaan’s victory consolidates the position of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), which dominates Galmudug’s political institutions.

The party won 67 of the 89 seats in the regional parliament during repeat elections held on September 30, giving it a commanding majority ahead of the presidential vote.

The JSP party Chairman is President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is also the president of Somalia’s federal government.

Libaan’s 72 votes exceeded the party’s 67 parliamentary seats, indicating that he received support beyond the JSP’s own parliamentary representation.

Following the parliamentary elections, the assembly elected its speaker and deputy speakers before proceeding to the presidential and vice-presidential contests.

The party’s majority had placed its presidential candidate in a strong position ahead of Thursday’s vote.

On August 24, the Country’s Supreme court annulled the results of parliamentary and local council elections held on July 30, citing failures to comply with constitutional and electoral requirements.

The ruling paved the way for repeat parliamentary elections on September 30, after which the electoral authorities announced a new assembly dominated by the JSP.

The Towfiiq political organisation, which had challenged the original results and secured the ruling that annulled them, did not participate in the repeat vote.

Electoral authorities said Towfiiq Party had failed to submit its candidate lists within the required deadline.

The Towfiiq Party disputed its exclusion, raising concerns about the fairness of the process.

The Supreme Court subsequently certified the repeat election results, clearing the way for the new parliament to elect Galmudug’s leadership.

The dispute has kept questions about political participation and confidence in the electoral process at the centre of the state’s leadership transition.

Libaan’s rise to the presidency followed Qoorqoor’s announcement in June that he would not seek another term, clearing the way for the JSP to select a new presidential candidate for the 2026–2031 period.

Libaan Shuluq subsequently emerged as the party’s candidate as preparations for the regional parliamentary and presidential elections gathered pace.

Galmudug, one of Somalia’s federal member states, comprises areas of the central regions of Galgaduud and Mudug.

Its administration operates within Somalia’s federal system, under which regional governments share responsibilities with the federal authorities in Mogadishu.

Political disagreements over electoral arrangements and the division of powers between federal and state institutions have been recurring sources of tension in Somalia.

Libaan takes office as Galmudug continues to face security threats from Al-Shabaab, local conflicts and disputes over land and resources.

Security operations, reconciliation initiatives and efforts to extend government authority in areas affected by insurgency remain key challenges for the incoming administration.

Relations with the federal government will be another important test, particularly over electoral arrangements, security responsibilities and the distribution of authority between Mogadishu and the regional administrations.

During his campaign, Libaan Ahmed Hassan pledged to prioritise security, reconciliation, economic development and stronger state institutions.

His administration will also face pressure to address concerns among political groups that opposed the electoral process and to broaden cooperation beyond the governing party.

With the presidential and vice-presidential elections concluded, attention now turns to the formation of the new administration and its ability to translate its commitments into concrete action on security, reconciliation and development.