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MOGADISHU, 22 October 2026 Prominent Somali opposition politicians congratulated Galmudug's newly elected President Liibaan Ahmed Hassan on Thursday, 22 October, despite having criticised earlier elections organised by the same national electoral commission in other parts of Somalia.
Liibaan, was elected by the Galmudug House of Representatives with 72 votes, defeating Abdulkadir Abdullahi Diriye of the Sincad political organisation, who received 14 votes.
Lawmakers also elected Senator Abdiweli Ibrahim Aden, known as Garyare, as vice president, securing 66 votes.
Former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, a member of the leadership of the Salvation Forum (Madasha Samatabixinta), congratulated the new president and wished him success in carrying out his responsibilities.
“I pray that Allah eases the heavy responsibility he has taken on,” Roble said.
Former Galmudug President Abdikarim Hussein Guled, a member of the Haybad Qaran Alliance, also welcomed the result, describing Liibaan as the leader needed to guide Galmudug through its current challenges.
MP Abdirahman Odowaa said he knew Liibaan well and expressed confidence in his competence, vision and ability to bring communities together.
MP Abdiladif Sanyare also congratulated the newly elected leadership.
The messages came from politicians associated with opposition alliances that have strongly criticised the federal government's one-person, one-vote electoral process.
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In Banadir, the Salvation Forum described the local elections as illegal, while the National Salvation Council criticised the process as dominated by a single political party rather than representing a free and fair contest.
Opposition figures also raised concerns about the transparency of elections held in South West State.
The elections in Banadir, South West, Hirshabelle and Galmudug were organised by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), the body responsible for implementing the one-person, one-vote electoral system supported by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The opposition's responses have differed across these elections, with some politicians welcoming Galmudug's newly elected leadership despite their objections to earlier electoral exercises.
The disagreement extends to the federal election timetable recently announced by the commission.
Under the timetable, elections for both houses of the Federal Parliament are scheduled for 15 April 2027, followed by the presidential election on 15 May 2027.
The Somali Future Council, which includes Puntland, Jubaland and the Salvation Forum, has rejected the timetable, arguing that it was announced without sufficient political consultation or agreement.
The congratulations extended to Galmudug's new leadership do not, however, amount to an explicit endorsement of the wider electoral process or a withdrawal of the opposition's objections to the federal timetable.
The differing responses highlight the distinction between opposition politicians' engagement with leadership developments in Galmudug and their continuing disputes with the federal government over the organisation of national elections.