KISMAYO (Kaab TV) – Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) has won the Jubaland presidential election on Monday, receiving 55 votes out of the total 75 votes cast by Jubaland parliamentarians in an election contested by two other candidates.
The two other candidates, Abubakar Abdi Hassan and Faisal Abdi Matan, received 4 votes and 16 votes, respectively.
The results were announced by the Jubaland Electoral Commission.
Feisal Abdi Matan and Abubakar Abdi Hassan, the two candidates who contested against President Ahmed Madobe, have accepted their defeat and congratulated him as the president-elect of Jubaland State for the next five years.
“I am ready to work with the president-elect of Jubaland Ahmed Madobe,” said Abubakar Abdi Hassan.
“The election result was fair and I concede the result which I got,” said Feisal Abdi Matan who garnered 16 votes.
The election, held in Kismayo today, was conducted by the 75 members of the Jubaland State Parliament comprising the clans.
The Somali Federal Government had previously rejected the election process.
Ahmed Madobe delivered a speech emphasizing the need for continued reconciliation among the people of Jubaland. He stated that since 2013, his administration has faced serious opposition, including armed violence, which he said was addressed through reconciliation efforts.
Madobe criticized the Somali Federal Government for orchestrating instability and undermining state governance. He asserted that Jubaland is part of Somalia, not Kenya or Ethiopia.
“The Somali Federal Government of 2019 exerted significant pressure on Kenya and Ethiopia to act against Jubaland. Now, the government of Hassan Sheikh is reminding us of the same approach. I tell Hassan Sheikh, we are ready for dialogue. I am not Kenyan, I am not Ethiopian, I am Somali,” he declared.
Madobe condemned President Hassan Sheikh’s use of military force to destabilize Jubaland and provoke civil war in the region. He also accused the federal government of attempting to disrupt efforts to combat Al-Shabaab.
While highlighting his extensive military experience, Madobe emphasized his commitment to reconciliation over conflict, saying, “I know security and my entire expertise is in the military, but I still choose reconciliation, not war.”
The speeches continued, with notable figures addressing the gathering in Jubaland. Among them was former Puntland Vice President Abdihakim Amey, who called on other Somali Federal Member States to organize their own elections without delay.
“I want to tell other regional states whose mandates have expired to hold their respective elections,” Mr. Amey said.
He emphasized the importance of respecting the constitutions of the federal member states. “The regional states have their own constitutions, and they must adhere to them,” he added.
Amey also highlighted the limits of presidential authority within Somalia’s federal system. “I want to tell the regional states that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is the Somali president, but he is not the constitution. Therefore, he cannot grant term extensions to any federal member state, nor can he extend his own term in office,” Mr. Amey asserted.
Amey emphasized the importance of upholding democratic processes within the federal system, urging all member states to strengthen their governance through free and fair elections.