Seyni Oumarou | |
---|---|
President of the National Assembly | |
In office 23 March 2021 –27 July 2023 | |
Preceded by | Ousseini Tinni |
Prime Minister of Niger | |
In office 7 June 2007 –23 September 2009 | |
President | Tandja Mamadou |
Preceded by | Hama Amadou |
Succeeded by | AlbadéAbouba (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | Tillabéri,French West Africa (now Niger) | 9 August 1950
Political party | National Movement for the Development of Society |
Seyni Oumarou (born 9 August 1950 [1] [2] [3] ) is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from June 2007 to September 2009 and President of the National Assembly of Niger from November 2009 to February 2010. He is from the west of the country and is a member of the Djerma ethnic group. [4] Since November 2008,he has been the President of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD). [5] He unsuccessfully stood as a presidential candidate in 2011,2016 and 2021. After years as an opposition leader under President Mahamadou Issoufou,he was appointed to the post of High Representative of the President in October 2016.
Oumarou was born in Tillabéri. His family name,Seyni,usually precedes his given name,and is sometimes spelled Seini or Seïni. He was Director-General of the Nigerien Paper Transformation Enterprise (ENITRAP) from 1987 to 1998,and in 1995 became Special Adviser to Prime Minister Hama Amadou. [3]
Oumarou was appointed to the government as Minister of Trade and Industry on April 16,1999,under the transitional military regime of Daouda Malam Wanké. Following elections he remained in that position as part of the government of Hama Amadou (who returned as Prime Minister),which was named on January 5,2000. [6] [7] [8] He was then named Minister of Trade and Promotion of the Private Sector on September 17,2001,and Minister of Trade,Industry,the Craft Industry,and the Promotion of the Private Sector on February 12,2004. On November 12,2004,following a number of resignations by ministers contesting that year's elections,Oumarou was additionally placed in charge of public health,the fight against endemic diseases,and hospital reforms,until he was named Minister of State for Equipment in a new government on December 30,2004. [9] In that position he was the third ranking member of the government (after Amadou and Minister of State Abdou Labo). [8]
Oumarou remained Minister of State for Equipment until Amadou and his government lost a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly on May 31,2007. President Mamadou Tandja chose Oumarou to succeed Amadou as Prime Minister on June 3;Oumarou had been proposed for the position by the MNSD and was one of three candidates presented to Tandja by the National Assembly. [4] Oumarou's appointment was opposed by the main opposition party,the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS),as well as a number of civil society organizations,because he was so closely associated with his predecessor and possibly tainted by the same corruption scandal related to embezzlement of education funds that caused the no-confidence vote against Amadou. [10] [11] Oumarou was sworn in as Prime Minister on June 7, [12] and his new government was named on June 9, [13] with 32 members (including Oumarou). [14]
In 2007,Oumarou was President of the MNSD section in Tillabéri,as well as a vice-president of the MNSD National Political Bureau. [3]
Oumarou said on July 13,2007,that the government would not negotiate with the Movement of Nigeriens for Justice rebel group in northern Niger. [15]
As the criminal prosecution of former Prime Minister Hama Amadou continued in 2008,some parliamentary leaders of the MNSD-Nassara remained loyal to the former party chief. In June 2008,Amadou was arrested on charges of embezzlement. Despite conflict with some MNSD activists still loyal to Amadou,Oumarou was named interim head of the party. [16]
In January 2009,Oumarou's government asked the National Assembly to strip three MNSD deputies of their immunity from prosecution. [17] Shortly thereafter,Amadou supporters tabled a motion of no confidence against Oumarou. [16] [18]
In late 2008,supporters of President Tandja staged events calling for the extension of the President's second term,due to expire in December 2009. Counter-protests by opponents—including MNSD activists loyal to Amadou—followed over the course of several weeks. [19] Thereafter Oumarou made statements indicating that the presidential,parliamentary and local elections would go ahead as planned. [20]
In August 2009,a constitutional referendum providing for a three-year extension of Tandja's term was successful amidst an opposition boycott. A parliamentary election was planned for October 2009,and Oumarou headed the MNSD's candidate list in Tillabéri. Because he was standing as a parliamentary candidate,he had to resign from the government,and on September 24,2009,state media reported that he had resigned,along with two other ministers who were also running. Albade Abouba,the Minister of the Interior,was appointed to replace him as Prime Minister in an acting capacity. [21]
Following the parliamentary election,which was boycotted by the opposition,the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—which had wanted the election delayed in hopes of resolving the political crisis—suspended Niger from its ranks. Oumarou headed the 22-member Nigerien delegation that traveled to Abuja for talks with ECOWAS beginning on November 9,2009. [22]
Having won a seat in the National Assembly,Oumarou was elected as President of the National Assembly on November 25,2009. The vote was unanimous,with all of the 109 deputies who were present voting in favor of his candidacy. [23] Oumarou said on the occasion that he would work to restore the National Assembly's image in the wake of the controversies of the preceding months. [24]
Dissatisfied by the ongoing political crisis,the military seized power on February 18,2010,ousting Tandja and immediately dissolving the National Assembly. [25] Unlike Tandja and Abouba,Oumarou was initially not detained by the new junta;however,he was arrested on 29 March 2010,along with a number of other high-ranking associates and loyalists of Tandja. According to Ousmane Cissé,the Minister of the Interior,they were arrested because they were involved in "subversive activities and undermining of the government and the transition process". Cisséstressed that any activity aimed at undermining the government or stirring unrest would be punished. [26] Nevertheless,the junta released Oumarou and the others on 2 April 2010. [27] [28] Cissé,the Interior Minister,said that their "destabilisation operation" had been "neutralised" and that the suspects were being released "to calm things down". [28]
A few months later,Oumarou was accused of embezzlement and arrested on 29 July 2010. The commission to Fight Financial Crime alleged that he owed the state 270 million CFA francs. The MNSD expressed outrage at the arrest of Oumarou,who was expected to be the MNSD's candidate for the January 2011 presidential election,and demanded his release;it said that the charge against him was a politically motivated effort to smear and marginalize the party. [29] On 2 August 2010,Oumarou was charged and released on bail. [30]
The MNSD announced on 10 August 2010 that Oumarou had been designated as its presidential candidate at a party congress. [31] He was ultimately defeated by Mahamadou Issoufou in a second round of voting,held in March 2011.
On 29 November 2015,Oumarou was designated as the MNSD's candidate for the 2016 presidential election. [32] He was again defeated by Issoufou,placing third in the first round. A few months after Issoufou's re-election,Oumarou announced in August 2016 that the MNSD was joining the "presidential majority" coalition of parties supporting Issoufou. That move was followed by the MNSD's inclusion in the government appointed on 19 October 2016 and the appointment of Oumarou as High Representative of President Issoufou on 20 October. In his new post as the President's representative,Oumarou was assigned broad responsibilities for "the conduct and management of political,economic or social projects" and was formally ranked fifth in state protocol. [33]
Politics of Niger takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic,whereby the President of Niger is head of state and the Prime Minister of Niger head of government,and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly.
Hama Amadou is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2007. He was also Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD-Nassara) from 1991 to 2001 and President of the MNSD-Nassara from 2001 to 2009. Amadou is from the Kurtey,a Fula sub-group,and was raised in the Tillaberi Region,in the Niger River valley,north of Niamey.
Mamadou Tandja was a Nigerien politician who was President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD's presidential candidate in 1993 and 1996 before being elected to his first term in 1999. While serving as President of Niger,he was also Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States from 2005 to 2007.
The National Movement for the Society of Development,also known as the National Movement for the Development of Society is a political party in Niger. Founded under the military government of the 1974–1990 period,it was the ruling party of Niger from 1989 to 1993 and again from 1999 until 2010,when a coup on 18 February 2010,by a military junta called the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD),ousted President Mamadou Tandja.
The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism is a political party in Niger. It is a broadly left-leaning party,part of the Socialist International;it came to power in 2011 following the election of the former long-time leader Mahamadou Issoufou. Mohamed Bazoum is the former president of the party and the former Secretary-General is Foumakoye Gado.
Amadou Cheiffou is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from 26 October 1991 to 17 April 1993,heading a transitional government. He has led the Social Democratic Rally (RSD-Gaskiya),a political party,since founding it in January 2004. Cheiffou was President of the Economic,Social and Cultural Council of Niger (CESOC) from January 2006 to February 2010,and held the official post of Ombudsman from August 2011 to December 2015.
Hassoumi Massaoudou is a Nigerien politician who served as minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger from 2021 to 2023 and as minister of Finance from October 2016 to January 2019. A leading member of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya),he was minister of Communication,Culture,Youth and Sports from 1993 to 1994,president of the PNDS Parliamentary Group from 1999 to 2004,director of the Cabinet of the President from 2011 to 2013,minister of the Interior from 2013 to 2016,and minister of National Defense in 2016.
Habi Mahamadou Salissou is a Nigerien politician and a former Secretary-General of the centre-right National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD). He served in the government of Niger as Minister of Secondary and Higher Education from 2001 to 2004 and as Minister of Trade and Industry from 2004 to 2007.
Abdou Labo is a Nigerien politician and a member of the Democratic and Social Convention (CDS-Rahama). He briefly served in the government of Niger as Minister of Defense from 1994 to 1995,and under President Mamadou Tandja he held a succession of ministerial posts in the 2000s:he was Minister of Equipment from 2000 to 2002,Minister of State for Sports and Culture from 2002 to 2004,and Minister of State for Hydraulics from 2004 to 2007. Later,under President Mahamadou Issoufou,he served as Minister of State for the Interior from 2011 to 2013 and as Minister of State for Agriculture from 2013 to 2014.
Sanoussi Tambari Jackou was a Nigerien politician and the President of the Nigerien Party for Self-Management (PNA-Al'ouma). He was Vice-President of the National Assembly of Niger from 1993 to 1994 and served in the government as Minister of State for Higher Education,Research,Technology,and African Integration later in the 1990s. He was a Deputy in the National Assembly from 2004 to 2010.
Mohamed Abdoulahi is a Nigerian politician who served in the government of Niger as minister of mines and energy from 2004 to 2010,under President Mamadou Tandja.
AlbadéAbouba is a Nigerien politician who has been the Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD-Nassara) since 2009. He served as Niger's Minister of the Interior from 2002 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2010. Abouba also served as Prime Minister in an acting capacity for a brief period in September–October 2009. In August 2013 he served in the government of President Mahamadou Issoufou as Minister of State. He is now the president of the MPR-Jamhuriya,a political party that he created in October 2015. Since April 2016,he has served as Minister of State,Minister of Agriculture and livestock.
The Cabinet of Niger is made up of the appointed heads of Niger's government Ministries. Ministers are chosen from the elected members of the National Assembly of Niger. According to the Constitution of 18 July 1999 the Prime Minister of Niger proposes the membership of the Council of Ministers,and the President of Niger appoints the Ministers,which is then authorized by the National Assembly. The Council of ministers meets at the discretion of the President,advises him on policy,and implements the policies he formulates. The Council of Ministers is headed by the Prime Minister of Niger,whose name is put forward by the National Assembly,and accepted by the President. The Assembly may remove the Prime minister by a vote of no confidence.
Issoufou Assoumane is a Nigerien politician who has been President of the Union of Nigerien Democrats and Socialists since 2001. He served in the government of Niger as Minister of Mines and Energy from 1995 to 1996 and as Minister of the Environment from 2000 to 2001.
Ali Badjo Gamatié is a Nigerien politician and civil servant who served as Prime Minister of Niger from October 2009 to February 2010. He was Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2002 and then served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) before being appointed as prime minister by President Mamadou Tandja. Gamatiéwas prime minister for only a few months,however,as Tandja was overthrown in a February 2010 military coup.
Amadou Ali Djibo dit Max is a Nigerien politician. He leads the Union of Independent Nigeriens (UNI) and was a minor candidate in the 1999 presidential election. He was a Deputy in the National Assembly of Niger from 2009 to 2010 and again since 2011.
Issa Lamine is a Nigerien politician. He led the Toubou-based Front Democratique Revolutionnaire,one of several rebel groups operating in the far north and east of Niger in the late 1990s. Lamine entered government as a representative of the eastern town of N'Gourti in 2000. As a member of the Democratic and Social Convention (CDS-Rahama),he was a Deputy in the National Assembly of Niger and then served in the government of Niger as Minister of Public Health from 2007 to 2009. He left the CDS-Rahama in 2009 and was elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate.
A coup d'état occurred in Niger on 18 February 2010. Soldiers attacked the presidential palace in Niamey under weapons fire at midday and captured President Mamadou Tandja,who was chairing a government meeting at the time. Later in the day,the rebels announced on television the formation of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD),headed by chef d'escadron Salou Djibo.
General elections were held in Niger on 31 January 2011 to elect the President and National Assembly,with a second round of the presidential elections on 12 March. The first round of the presidential elections was originally scheduled to be held on 3 January and the second round on 31 January,but was later postponed. The elections followed a military coup in February 2010 that ousted President Mamadou Tandja.
General elections were held in Niger on 21 February 2016,with a presidential run-off held on 20 March. A total of 15 candidates ran for the presidency,with incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou running for re-election for a second term. There were two main opposition candidates also vying for the top post,Seyni Oumarou of the National Movement for the Society of Development (MNSD),who lost to Issoufou in 2011,and Hama Amadou of MODEN/FA,who has been campaigning from prison since November 2015. Most of the opposition agreed to align for the second round to back the second-placed candidate against Issoufou.