He defended his position against top Oromo opposition leaders who sought an alliance with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a once-dominant party with historic ties to the now-defunct Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Front (the EPRDF).
Aliilinda nafasi yake dhidi ya viongozi wakuu wa upinzani walioungana na Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), ambacho kilishawahi kuwa na ukaribu na  chama kikuu chenye historia kubwa cha Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Front (the EPRDF).