Jubaland Leader Warns Somali President Against Power Grab Amid 2026 Election Dispute
KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland state President Ahmed Madobe on Thursday warned Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud against consolidating power, accusing the federal leader of advancing policies he once opposed and underscoring growing rifts ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections.
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Speaking at the Somali Future Council conference in Kismayo, Madobe cast the gathering as a forum to confront political tensions and said Somalia’s governance must rest on broad consensus rather than centralized authority. “No one will accept today what President Hassan rejected yesterday,” he said, adding, “We will not allow the country to be destroyed,” according to local reports.
The remarks spotlight deepening mistrust between federal member states and Mogadishu as leaders debate constitutional reforms and the shape of Somalia’s electoral system. Critics of the federal government argue that recent decisions from the capital risk eroding the consensus-based federal arrangement intended to reconcile local autonomy with national cohesion.
Supporters of President Hassan Sheikh counter that updating governance frameworks—chiefly through constitutional amendments—is aimed at strengthening unity, improving decision-making and paving the way for more inclusive elections in 2026. Government officials have dismissed accusations of a power grab as political rhetoric designed to stall reforms.
The Somali Future Council conference drew former presidents, prime ministers and other senior political figures from across the country, a show of force that reflects the stakes of the political debate. While the meeting’s resolutions were not immediately made public, the tone suggested an effort by regional leaders to coordinate responses to proposals they see as reshaping Somalia’s power balance.
Madobe, a prominent voice among federal member state leaders, framed his critique around principles of shared responsibility and the equitable distribution of national resources. He argued that Somalia’s fragile federation cannot withstand a drift toward one-man rule or policies that bypass consultation with regional administrations.
Analysts say the exchange captures a widening gulf over how Somalia should conduct the 2026 national elections and manage a long-delayed constitutional overhaul. With timelines tightening and expectations rising, the risk is that procedural disputes could morph into a broader political standoff, drawing in regional allies, party networks and security forces already stretched by other national priorities.
Even as rhetoric hardens, both sides maintain they are acting in the national interest. The federal government has cast reform as a route to more credible institutions and clearer lines of authority. Regional leaders argue that without safeguards for state-level autonomy, reforms could unravel the compact that has held the federation together since its inception.
- Madobe accuses President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of pursuing centralized control he once opposed, warning against policies that could destabilize Somalia.
- The Somali Future Council in Kismayo assembled former presidents, prime ministers and senior figures, amplifying scrutiny of governance debates.
- At issue are constitutional reforms, the division of powers and how to structure Somalia’s 2026 elections within a federal system.
What comes next will hinge on whether the federal government and member states can translate calls for consultation into a structured dialogue on reforms, timelines and electoral rules. For now, Madobe’s warning signals that regional leaders intend to resist any shift they interpret as diluting their authority—setting up a pivotal test for Somalia’s evolving federal architecture as the election cycle approaches.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
