Friday October 16, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn amendments to Somalia’s provisional Constitution, rejecting the newly announced 2027 election timetable and warning that the dispute could result in parallel elections and civil conflict.
In a statement on Thursday, Sharif described the election schedule announced by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) as unilateral, arguing that the constitutional amendments and electoral process had not followed legally required procedures.
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“The petition seeks to invalidate the disputed constitutional amendments and decisions arising from them,” he added.
The former president warned that proceeding with elections without a broad political agreement could deepen divisions, undermine government institutions and create competing claims to political authority.
Sharif urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to halt unilateral decisions and engage opposition leaders and federal member states in negotiations aimed at reaching a national agreement on the electoral process.
He also called on the Supreme Court to adjudicate his constitutional petition independently and urged international partners to support efforts to resolve Somalia’s political dispute through dialogue.
His remarks came hours after NIEBC Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan announced that elections for both chambers of Somalia’s Federal Parliament would take place on April 15, 2027, followed by a presidential election on May 15.
The commission said the timetable was established in accordance with the country’s constitutional and electoral laws.
The announcement comes amid continuing disagreements between the federal government, opposition groups and some federal member states over the electoral framework and the mandates of national institutions.
Puntland, Jubbaland and several opposition groups have rejected the revised Constitution, maintaining that the 2012 provisional Constitution should remain the legal basis for Somalia’s political process and upcoming elections.
Negotiations between the federal government and opposition figures have yet to produce an agreement acceptable to all sides.
The dispute has raised concerns about whether the elections can proceed with broad political participation and whether rival political groups will recognize the outcome.