JSP Crowns Libaan Shuluq as Galmudug Candidate Amid Claims the Race Was Decided Long Ago

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.