BREAKING: NIEBC Releases Banaadir Poll Results, Notably Low Turn-Out Recorded

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has released the official results of Mogadishu’s landmark local council elections, revealing a sharply low voter turnout that has overshadowed what was billed as a historic democratic exercise.

According to the commission, only 233,314 people cast ballots across the 16 districts of the Banadir region, despite 923,220 voters having registered for the polls. The figures point to a wide gap between registration and actual participation in the first local council elections held in the capital in more than five decades.

The elections featured an expansive political contest, with 20 political organisations competing for 390 seats across district councils in Mogadishu.

Of the ballots cast, 210,586 votes were declared valid, while 22,728 were rejected as invalid, the commission said.

While electoral authorities have described the vote as a critical step toward restoring grassroots governance and advancing one-person, one-vote democracy, the turnout figures are already raising questions about voter engagement, political trust, and public confidence in local governance.

The results are expected to shape municipal leadership in the capital and inform future electoral planning as Somalia prepares for broader national elections scheduled for next year.