Monday August 10, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur Jama has been elected speaker of Somalia’s House of the People, taking over from Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe after lawmakers approved his candidacy by a wide margin.
Of the 174 lawmakers who attended Monday’s session at the House of the People headquarters in Mogadishu, Jama won 142 votes. Fellow candidate Abdulqadir Omar Moallin received 30, while two ballots were declared invalid, Acting Speaker and First Deputy Speaker Saadiya Yasin Haji Samatar said.
Jama took the oath shortly after the result was announced, formally assuming leadership of the lower chamber of Somalia’s Federal Parliament.
The vote followed Madobe’s election as president of South West State, which left the speakership vacant. Electing his successor was among the main issues before the House of the People during its eighth session.
Jama brings extensive government experience to the post. He served as Somalia’s minister of ports and maritime transport from March 2025, and previously held the portfolios of defense and justice. He also worked as a senior adviser in the Office of the Speaker of the House of the People.
In his campaign, Jama identified stronger parliamentary oversight as a central priority. He promised to intensify scrutiny of the executive branch and press government institutions to remain accountable to Parliament.
“The House of the People must closely monitor the activities of government agencies,” Jama said during the campaign, underscoring the legislature’s responsibility to oversee the executive.
His election comes at a politically sensitive moment for Somalia, as lawmakers prepare to address major questions involving governance, security and the country’s electoral process.
