Opposition party Waddani got a huge boost in its ambition to form the next Somaliland government after a senior member of the President Muse Bihi inner circle defected to the party.
Dr. Mohamed Abdillahi Omar, Bihi’s closest ally and former Minister for Foreign Affairs under President Silanyo, announced on Wednesday he had joined the Waddani Party and will support the party’s presidential candidate Abdirahman Irro in the forthcoming elections in November.
At an event in Gabiley, Dr Mohammed said Irro stands the best chance to upstage incumbent Muse Bihi adding that the Waddani party stands to place Somaliland at a respectable position internationally.
Dr. Mohamed is a highly influential figure in the international arena as well as in grassroots where President Muse Bihi has enjoyed support. He was recently appointed to Goodwill Ambassador for Global Security.
Dr Omar appointed to the position on July 28, 2010 by the region’s incumbent President Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo. Following a cabinet reshuffle on June 25, 2013, Omar was replaced as Foreign Minister by Mohamed Bihi Yonis. Omar subsequently served as Somaliland’s Minister of Commerce until May 20, 2014, when he was dismissed from the position by presidential decree following an internal dispute over leadership succession within the ruling Kulmiye party
While defecting to Waddani, Dr. Mohamed was accompanied by a group of politicians who are prominent in Somaliland politics. Omar’s decision is seen a major shift to Waddani’s quest for the country’s leadership. For the last few weeks, Waddani has been attracting waves of supporters from Kulmiye’s previous strongholds, including the incumbent president’s constituents. Dr. Mohamed is from Gabiley, where 90% of votes counted in 2017 were in favour of Muse Bihi.
At the ceremony to welcome him to the Waddani part, Dr Omar said: “It is unfortunate that some Somaliland communities are referred to as internal enemies while some as citizens”
