The ruling comes days after elections in Hirshabelle were postponed, raising questions about Somalia’s readiness for nationwide direct voting.
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Supreme Court has annulled the results of Galmudug’s parliamentary and local council elections after finding that the process violated the Constitution and electoral law.
The elections were held on July 30, 2026. In its August 24 ruling, the court declared the results legally invalid and ordered the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to organize fresh elections as soon as possible.
Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed said the court reached its decision after hearing the parties and examining the evidence presented in the case.
The court found that the irregularities affected the integrity and final outcome of the elections. However, the full details of the violations have not been published in a precinct-by-precinct report.
No date has been announced for the rerun. Galmudug’s existing institutions will remain in office until new representatives are elected through a process that complies with the law.
The decision is a major setback for Somalia’s transition from the clan-delegate system to one-person, one-vote elections. Galmudug’s vote was viewed as an important test of the federal government’s plan to introduce direct elections across the country.
The ruling also follows the postponement of parliamentary and local council elections in Hirshabelle, which were scheduled for August 20.
Somalia’s electoral commission said voting in Hirshabelle was delayed because voter registration remained incomplete in four districts of the Hiiraan region. Political organizations also needed additional time to submit candidate lists and prepare for the election.
The commission said a new timetable would be announced within two weeks.
The two setbacks raise concerns about whether Somalia’s electoral institutions are ready to conduct direct elections nationwide. Galmudug completed its vote, but the results were later declared unlawful. Hirshabelle could not proceed because key preparations remained unfinished.
The Supreme Court’s decision shows that the judiciary can challenge an election conducted by federal institutions. At the same time, it exposes weaknesses in the legal and administrative systems supporting Somalia’s move toward direct voting.
The electoral commission and federal government have not yet announced how the Galmudug rerun will be organized or whether the ruling will affect election schedules in other parts of Somalia.