Somali lawmakers on Monday elected Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur Jama as speaker of the House of the People, replacing Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, who was elected president of South West State.
A total of 174 lawmakers attended the session at the House of the People headquarters in Mogadishu.
Jama secured 142 votes, defeating fellow candidate Abdulqadir Omar Moallin, who received 30 votes.
Two ballots were declared invalid, according to Acting Speaker and First Deputy Speaker Saadiya Yasin Haji Samatar.
Jama was sworn in shortly after the results were announced, formally beginning his tenure as speaker of the lower house of the Federal Parliament.
The election was held after the speakership became vacant following Madobe’s election as president of South West State.
Choosing a new speaker was one of the key items on the agenda of the House of the People’s eighth session.
Jama previously served as Somalia’s minister of ports and maritime transport, a position he held from March 2025.
He has also served as minister of defense and minister of justice and previously worked as a senior adviser in the Office of the Speaker of the House of the People.
During his campaign, Jama said strengthening parliamentary oversight would be a central part of his agenda.
He pledged to increase scrutiny of the executive branch and ensure that government institutions are held accountable to Parliament.
“The House of the People must closely monitor the activities of government agencies,” Jama said during his campaign, emphasizing the legislature’s role in overseeing the executive branch.
His election comes as Somalia enters a politically sensitive period, with lawmakers preparing for major decisions on governance, security and the country’s electoral process.
