Puntland President “Scales Down” Ambition to Become Somalia’s Next President

[Deeq A.]

President Deni will not temporarily hand over presidential duties while campaigning in Mogadishu.

Garowe (PP News Desk) — The President of Puntland State of Somalia Said Abdullahi Deni harbours ambition to become the next President of Somalia, but it is not as intense as the declaration of his candidacy unveiled three weeks ago.

He seemed to have been following in the footsteps of founding President of Puntland Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who sought Somalia’s highest office while still in power at his enclave. Puntland Finance Minister Hassan Shire Abgal today told the local media that President Deni would return to Puntland to resume his duties “if he fails to win the Somalia Presidency”.

“We have a mandate. President Deni will not resign while campaigning in Mogadishu. People can hold us accountable once we leave the office” said Shire, to drive home the point that in Puntland leaders evade accountability while in power.

Commentators have interpreted Shire’s intervention as hint about Deni who “scaled down his ambition” to unseat the incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. “President Deni does not seem to be contesting [Villa Somalia]. He is boosting election chances people who had undermined Puntland. People of Puntland State are aware that Deni has no a political ambition beyond antagonising President Farmaajo” tweeted Mohamed Baldho.

President Deni reportedly summoned federal MPs and Senators from Puntland to instruct them on how to vote and who to vote for if he gets eliminated in the first or second round of the voting.

© Puntland Post, 2022

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