19 Facts About Mahamadou Issoufou

Mahamadou Issoufou was born on 1 January 1952 and is a Nigerien politician who served as the president of Niger from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021.

Mahamadou Issoufou led the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, a social democratic party, from its foundation in 1990 until his election as president in 2011.

Mahamadou Issoufou, an ethnic Hausa, was born on 1 January 1952, in the town of Dandaji in Tahoua Department.

Mahamadou Issoufou is married to Aissata Issoufou Mahamadou, a chemist, and to second wife, Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou, a physician.

Later in February 1993, Mahamadou Issoufou ran as the PNDS candidate in the presidential election.

Mahamadou Issoufou placed third, winning 15.92 percent of the vote.

Ousmane won the election, defeating Tandja Mamadou, the candidate of the National Movement of the Development Society ; with the AFC holding a parliamentary majority, Mahamadou Issoufou became Prime Minister on 17 April 1993.

On 28 September 1994, Mahamadou Issoufou resigned in response to a decree from Ousmane a week earlier that weakened the powers of the prime minister, and the PNDS withdrew from the governing coalition.

Mahamadou Issoufou was backed in the second round by the unsuccessful first round candidates Hamid Algabid, Moumouni Adamou Djermakoye, and Ali Djibo, while Tandja received Ousmane's support.

Mahamadou Issoufou, who targeted corruption in his campaign, accused Tandja of using state funds for his own campaign, along with other accusations of electoral misconduct, and said that the election was not as transparent as the 1999 election.

At an opposition rally in Niamey on 9 May 2009, Mahamadou Issoufou accused Tandja of seeking "a new constitution to stay in power forever" and the establishment of "a dictatorship and a monarchy".

On 14 September 2009, Mahamadou Issoufou was charged with misappropriation of funds and then released on bail.

Mahamadou Issoufou said that he was actually charged for political reasons.

Mahamadou Issoufou said on the occasion that "the moment has come, the conditions are right", and he called on party members to "turn these conditions into votes at the ballot box".

Some observers considered Mahamadou Issoufou to be potentially the strongest candidate in the election.

In July 2011, a planned assassination of Mahamadou Issoufou was allegedly uncovered.

Mahamadou Issoufou has been described by The Economist as "a staunch ally of the West".

On 31 March 2021, two days before Mahamadou Issoufou's term was to expire, his government thwarted a coup attempt by dissident military officers believed to have been plotting to prevent the inauguration of his successor, Mohamed Bazoum.

Mahamadou Issoufou later reiterated his call for Bazoum's release and restoration to office during the subsequent 2023 Nigerien crisis in August.