The Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has dismissed as baseless reports claiming that the Towfiiq Party—led by Sheikh Mohamed Shakir Ali Hassan—was excluded from the parties competing in the re-run election scheduled for Galmudug regions on September 30, 2026.
In a press release issued today, the Commission announced the list of parties authorized to contest the Galmudug Local Council re-run election; while the Towfiiq Party was not included in this list of 12 parties, the Commission informed political organizations and election stakeholders that the deadline for submitting candidate lists for the Galmudug re-run election has passed.
The Election Commission stated that it had previously announced the schedule for candidate submissions for the Galmudug re-run election, and the 12 political organizations in question had submitted the required candidates. The Towfiiq organization did not submit any candidates, and the Commission has no grounds to exclude the Towfiiq organization—provided it had met the necessary requirements—from the election. The decision came two days after the Towfiiq Party issued a press release warning about the management of the re-run election and demanding that the electoral commission review issues the party identified as threats to the election’s integrity.
The Towfiiq Party also stated its desire to ensure the election is held in a free and fair environment, while expressing concern regarding the commission’s preparations and procedures.
Regarding the previous Galmudug Local Council election—the results of which were annulled—the Towfiiq Party had claimed 12 seats but rejected the outcome, a dispute that ultimately led the Supreme Court to invalidate the results.
All in all, the absence of the Towfiiq Party from the official list of competing parties could reignite the political conflict stemming from the previous election, especially with only a few weeks remaining until the re-run. It is worth noting that the press release issued by the commission today clearly lists the 12 parties authorized to compete, and the Towfiiq Party is not included.