Abiy Ahmed Re-Elected as Prime Minister, Ahmed Shide Named Speaker of House

Federal lawmakers in Ethiopia have re-elected Abiy Ahmed (PhD) as Prime Minister for a second full five-year term on Monday, October 5, 2026. Abiy, who is the president of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP), has already served over eight years in office. The confirmation vote took place during the inaugural session of the newly seated federal legislative house. Addressing the new Parliament for the first time in this term, Abiy highlighted the preparation of a new constitution as a top priority for his upcoming administration. During the same session, Parliament elected its new leadership team. Ahmed Shide, the outgoing Minister of Finance, was elected Speaker of the House, taking over from Tagesse Chafo, who served in the role since October 2018. Additionally, Ayelech Eshete, a former state minister for Education, was selected as Deputy Speaker, succeeding Lomi Bedo after her five-year tenure.