Mogadishu (WDN) – President Hassan Sheikh’s Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) formally presented Libaan Ahmed Hassan (Libaan Shuluq) with the party’s official nomination certificate, confirming him as its candidate for the upcoming shady Galmudug presidential election and bringing weeks of political speculation to an end.
The endorsement of Liban Shuluq, a prominent Qad ( Jad) trader, follows an internal meeting of the party’s executive committee, which voted to nominate Shuluq as its standard-bearer for the leadership of the Galmudug Federal Member State.
For weeks, political circles had speculated over whether the ruling party would back Mahad Salad or Libaan Shuluq. However, insiders say Mahad Salad ultimately stepped aside, shifting political attention to negotiations between incumbent President Ahmed Abdi Kariye (Qoorqoor) and the Federal Government that culminated in Qoorqoor’s decision not to seek re-election.
The party’s announcement has fueled claims among political observers and opposition figures that the outcome had effectively been settled well before the formal nomination process concluded. The endorsement merely confirmed what many in political circles had already expected, reinforcing perceptions that the ruling party had long settled on its preferred candidate.
Hours before the official announcement, hundreds of people gathered at the Taleh Junction in Mogadishu’s Hodan District to celebrate Shuluq’s anticipated nomination. The gathering featured songs, chants, banners, and displays highlighting his charitable work, particularly his reported humanitarian assistance to communities in Galmudug and Puntland during periods of severe hardship.
Supporters described the event as a spontaneous celebration of a candidate they believe can provide new leadership for Galmudug. However, critics disputed that characterization, alleging that many of those who took part in the demonstration were unemployed youths mobilized and paid to attend the rally. Those claims have not been independently verified, and organizers have rejected suggestions that the gathering was orchestrated.
The competing narratives surrounding the celebrations underscore the highly charged political atmosphere ahead of the Galmudug election. While the JSP has presented Shuluq’s nomination as the outcome of an internal democratic process, opponents contend that the decision reflected a political consensus reached behind closed doors rather than an open contest within the party.
With the ruling party now officially united behind Libaan Shuluq and President Qoorqoor having withdrawn from the race, attention is shifting to whether the upcoming election will be viewed as a genuinely competitive contest or as the formal ratification of a political outcome many believe was determined well in advance.
As campaigning intensifies, the Galmudug presidential race is shaping up to be one of Somalia’s most closely watched regional elections, not only because of its implications for the state’s future leadership but also because of the broader questions it raises about transparency, internal party democracy, and the influence of the Federal Government in regional political affairs.
WardheerNews