Is Villa Somalia Turning Federalism into a Political Empire?

By Abdullahi A. Nor

Somalia’s latest electoral controversy is beginning to expose something far more dangerous than a disagreement over dates, ballots or electoral procedures. It is raising a fundamental question about the future of federalism itself: is Somalia building a democratic federal system—or is Mogadishu gradually converting the Federal Member States into political extensions of Villa Somalia?

The question has become impossible to ignore. The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, despite its name, lacks genuine independence and is operating under the political influence of Villa Somalia. The Commission has now announced a new timetable for repeat elections in Galmudug and preparations for elections in Hirshabelle, citing a Supreme Court ruling issued on August 24, 2026.

But there is a striking contradiction at the center of the process. The same electoral system whose Galmudug results were annulled by the Supreme Court is now being asked to conduct another electoral exercise. That should not be treated as a technical footnote. It goes directly to the credibility of the entire process.