JSP secretary general resigns in second high-profile exit in days
He also took aim at recently approved constitutional amendments that extend the mandate of federal institutions by one year, saying the changes were pushed through without broad agreement and could erode Somalia’s federal system.
Wednesday March 25, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — A senior Somali federal lawmaker has broken ranks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s political camp, stepping down from a top party post in a move that underscores intensifying disputes over governance, constitutional changes and the path to elections.
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Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein Odawaa announced on March 25, 2026 that he is resigning as Secretary General of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) and ending his membership in the party, which is led by President Mohamud. In a statement published on his official Facebook page, Odawaa said his decision follows what he described as entrenched disagreements with the president over how the country is being run and how key political decisions are being made.
“Today, March 25, 2026, I officially resign from the position of Secretary General and also from my membership in the Justice and Solidarity Party,” Odawaa said. “This resignation is due to deep differences of opinion that have existed between me and the chairman of the JSP Party and the President of the Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.”
Odawaa, long regarded as an ally of the president, argued that decision-making inside both the party and government has become increasingly unilateral. He accused President Mohamud of marginalizing party leaders, avoiding consultation and dismissing alternative views on national governance.
He also took aim at recently approved constitutional amendments that extend the mandate of federal institutions by one year, saying the changes were pushed through without broad agreement and could erode Somalia’s federal system.
“We have different opinions with the president on the country’s electoral system,” Odawaa said. “The president has insisted on establishing an electoral system in which he can control the results. I believe elections should be agreed upon by all political stakeholders, given our country’s vulnerability to political conflict and instability.”
The lawmaker further warned that federal policies toward regional administrations risk weakening the country’s federal structure. He criticized restrictions affecting lawmakers and citizens traveling within and outside Somalia, pointing in particular to reported steps that have prevented federal MPs from leaving Mogadishu.
“Preventing a national parliamentarian with immunity from traveling is an unjustifiable violation of the law and an affront to the independence of parliament,” he said.
Odawaa’s exit is the second prominent resignation from the JSP in recent days, coming after Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen stepped away from the party. The departures highlight widening political rifts as tensions rise between the federal government and several regional administrations.
President Mohamud’s current term is set to conclude in May 2026, though the constitutional amendments extend the mandate of federal institutions by one year. Puntland State, Jubbaland and Southwest State, along with opposition groups, have rejected the extension, fueling concerns that competing political tracks could emerge.
