Ahmed Madobe won another term as president of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubaland state after regional lawmakers gave him a decisive majority in an indirect election rejected by the federal government.
Madobe received 55 of the 75 votes cast, according to the regional electoral authorities cited by The Eastleigh Voice. His nearest challenger, Abubakar Omar Ali, won 16 votes, while Faysal Muktar took four. The outcome granted the long-serving regional leader a third term.
The ballot took place after Jubaland elders selected the lawmakers who voted for the president. That process reflected the indirect model still used in parts of Somalia and came amid a wider argument over how the country should choose its leaders. The federal government has advocated a common system based on universal suffrage, while Jubaland and Puntland have resisted that plan, pointing to security and logistical constraints.
The disagreement was not limited to election mechanics. Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said before the vote that Madobe was not eligible to stand again because of a two-term constitutional limit. He also characterized the regional process as illegitimate and accused Madobe of placing personal political interests ahead of national unity. Jubaland proceeded with the contest despite those objections.
Madobe, for his part, presented his mandate as one focused on the regional administration. During the campaign, he said he would serve Jubaland rather than the federal government. He also indicated that he would seek negotiations with Mogadishu on matters affecting the public and the country, while maintaining his opposition to the federal electoral proposals.
The dispute sits within a larger struggle over the timing and structure of elections in Somalia. Federal authorities have sought to align state contests with national polls and move toward a presidential system. Madobe has argued that the proposed changes could allow federal and regional officeholders to extend their terms, a concern also associated with Puntland’s leader, Said Abdullahi Deni.
The election therefore settled who would lead Jubaland but did not resolve the competing constitutional and political claims around the vote. It left Madobe with a strong tally among the selected regional lawmakers while Mogadishu continued to challenge both his eligibility and the legitimacy of the process.
The political confrontation also unfolded against a demanding security backdrop. Jubaland remained involved in efforts against Al-Shabaab, while Somalia was preparing for changes to the international security presence as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia approached its planned end of year drawdown and a successor support mission was expected to take on a role.
