Mogadishu, March 25, 2026 — Somali lawmaker Abdirahman Odawaa, who served as the Secretary-General of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), has announced his resignation from both his leadership position and his membership in the party, citing deep political differences with JSP Chairman and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
In a press statement issued on March 25, 2026, Odawaa said his decision followed a prolonged and serious disagreement with the president over the direction of both the country and the ruling party.
Odawaa accused President Hassan Sheikh of centralizing decision-making and refusing to accommodate differing views within his political circle and state institutions. He said the president had made both national leadership and party affairs dependent on his personal decisions, without meaningful consultation with his team or broader government bodies.
A major point of contention, according to Odawaa, was the constitutional amendment process. He said he had opposed the manner in which changes to the constitution were pursued, arguing that the process was divisive and risked undermining Somali unity, federal principles, and the foundational values on which the constitution is based.
He also pointed to a sharp disagreement over the country’s electoral system. Odawaa said President Hassan Sheikh was determined to implement an election model whose outcome he could control, while he himself supported an electoral framework based on broad political consensus among national stakeholders. He warned that Somalia remains vulnerable to political conflict and social instability if elections are not handled through inclusive agreement.
Another issue highlighted in the resignation statement was what Odawaa described as the weakening of federal member states. He said he strongly opposed what he called the president’s policy of dismantling or undermining regional administrations, stressing that federal member states are a key pillar of Somalia’s federal system and social cohesion.
Odawaa further criticized the restrictions placed on members of parliament and Somali citizens travelling inside and outside the country. He specifically condemned the blocking of a parliamentarian with constitutional immunity from travel, calling it an unlawful abuse, a violation of parliamentary independence, and an affront to human dignity.
He said these issues, along with others not fully detailed in the statement, had led him to conclude that he and President Hassan Sheikh could no longer continue as political allies after many years of cooperation.
Odawaa announced that, from now on, he would pursue a different political path, and expressed readiness to align with any political actors who share his commitment to Somali nationalism, unity, and the protection of the country’s cohesion.
He concluded his statement by wishing Somalia “a bright collective future.”
