Sharif Hassan, Aden Madobe register for Southwest presidential race

Sunday June 7, 2026

Baidoa (HOL) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has begun registering candidates for the Southwest State presidential election, formally opening a new phase in the region’s leadership contest.

Among the first candidates to register was Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, a former president of Southwest State, who received his certificate of candidacy from the commission.

Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe, speaker of the House of the People of Somalia’s Federal Parliament, also received his certificate of candidacy, officially joining the race.

The two politicians are among the most prominent candidates to enter the contest so far.

Sharif Hassan had previously been among politicians critical of the federal government’s political direction, but later supported the one-person, one-vote electoral system. The shift was widely viewed as aligning him with the broader political changes being advanced by federal authorities.

The election follows the recent swearing-in of Southwest lawmakers and the selection of the regional parliament’s leadership. It also comes amid heightened political tension over the electoral process, federal influence and the future of Somalia’s transition toward direct elections.