By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 15 October 2026 Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has warned that the election timetable announced on Thursday by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) could lead the country to parallel elections and civil wars.
In a press statement, Farmajo said what he called President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's "self-election" process endangers the country's statehood and future. He described the commission's decision as "a unilateral decision" taken by the President on behalf of one side.
"Since the country's political destiny cannot be decided by a one-sided process and personal ambition," Farmajo said, calling for the resumption of talks that had been under way and for an inclusive election to be held urgently.
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He said the plan to hold an election without consensus, and without input from the federal member states and the opposition, reflects authoritarian politics. He accused Hassan Sheikh of violating the constitution in order to seize power, similar to earlier steps he took against some federal member states, which he said led to civil conflicts.
Farmajo called on former leaders and officials, federal member state presidents and political actors to stand together for a free and inclusive election, and urged the international community to continue its mediating role.The commission announced that parliamentary elections will be held on 15 April 2027 and the presidential election on 15 May 2027, both on a one-person one-vote basis.
Farmajo's warning comes as opposition councils strongly oppose the one-person one-vote election being pushed by the President, even though, at the most recent talks mediated by the international community, they submitted a one-person one-vote proposal of their own, differing with the government over whether the system should be based on political parties or individual candidates.