Mandera governor Ali Roba has defied a decision by local elders that he should not seek re-election, terming the move as dictatorial.
According to Roba, the time for elders to dictate political decisions to residents is over. He stated,
The time for elders dictating political decisions to the residents is long gone.
Roba was joined by several lawmakers, including MPs Adan Mohamed, Mohamed Mohamud, Mohamud Mohammed, and Isaack Shaaban, in opposing the elders' decision. They argued that the elders should not politicize party primaries and claimed that support for the Jubilee party in the area remains intact.
The elders from the Garre, Murule, and Degodia communities had earlier endorsed alternative candidates, including Hassan Noor Hassan for governor, Osman Hassan for senator, and Amina Gedow as Women Representative.
The disagreement between Roba and the elders may lead to significant political realignments ahead of the upcoming elections. The move by Roba and the lawmakers has been seen as a challenge to the traditional leadership of the Somali community in the region.
The recovered account cited reporting by Mediamax.
