POLITICIANS from Samoa

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Samoan Politicians of all time. This list of famous Samoan Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Va'aletoa Sualauvi II (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 59.10, Va'aletoa Sualauvi II is the most famous Samoan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages on wikipedia.

Afioga Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Eti Sualauvi II (born 29 April 1947) is a Samoan politician who is the current O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) of Samoa, in office since 2017.He was appointed to the title of Tuimaleali'ifano in July 1977, which is one of the four paramount chiefly titles of Samoa.

2. Tufuga Efi (b. 1938)

With an HPI of 54.80, Tufuga Efi is the 2nd most famous Samoan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi (born Olaf "Efi" Tamasese; 1 March 1938) is a Samoan political leader and as holder of the maximal lineage Tama-a-'āiga title of Tupua Tamasese, is one of the four paramount chiefs of Samoa. He also holds the royal pāpā title of Tui Atua ('sovereign' of Atua).Tui Ātua served as the third prime minister of Samoa from 1976 to 1982 and again later in 1982. On 16 June 2007, he was elected as Samoa's Head of State (O le Ao Mamalu o le Malo) from 2007 to 2017. He was sworn in at Samoa's Parliament (Maota Fono) on 20 June 2007.

3. Malietoa Tanumafili II (1913 - 2007)

With an HPI of 54.32, Malietoa Tanumafili II is the 3rd most famous Samoan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Malietoa Tanumafili II (4 January 1913 – 11 May 2007), addressed Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II, was the Malietoa, the title of one of Samoa's four paramount chiefs, and the head of state, or O le Ao o le Malo, a position that he held for life, of Samoa from 1962 to 2007. He was co-head of state in 1962 with the tama-a-'aiga Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole and became the sole head of state on 15 April 1963 upon the death of his co-regent. At the time of his death, he was the oldest national leader in the world, and was also the last incumbent president-for-life in the world. His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II was also the first head of state to be a follower of the Bahá’í Faith.The Malietoa is one of the four tama-a-'aiga (maximal lineage) titles of Samoa, alongside Tupua Tamasese, Mata-afa and Tuimalealiifano.Following an extended period deliberation, the Malietoa title passed to his eldest son, Malietoa Fa’amausili Molī.

4. Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi (b. 1945)

With an HPI of 49.73, Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi is the 4th most famous Samoan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Susuga Tuilaʻepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Saʻilele Malielegaoi (born 14 February 1944) is a Samoan politician and economist who served as the sixth prime minister of Samoa from 1998 to 2021. Tuilaʻepa is Samoa's longest serving prime minister and was leader of the opposition from 2021 to 2022. Since 1998, he has led the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). Tuilaʻepa first entered parliament in 1981 when he won a by-election to represent the electorate of Lepā. He also served as deputy prime minister and minister of finance in the government of Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana, and also held the portfolios of Tourism and Trade, Commerce & Industry.Tuilaʻepa lost his majority in the 2021 election but refused to leave office, leading to the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis. The crisis was resolved by Samoa's Court of Appeal on 23 July 2021, which ruled that Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa had been prime minister since 24 May. On 26 July, Tuilaʻepa conceded defeat and assumed the role of opposition leader the following day. Tuilaʻepa was indefinitely suspended from the legislative assembly on 24 May for breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt of parliament. The indefinite suspension was recommended by the privileges and ethics committee. He later described his suspension as a "witch hunt". However, he was later reinstated on 13 September following a Supreme Court ruling that voided the suspension. The privileges and ethics committee then reconvened and suggested that Tuilaʻepa be suspended again for 24 months until 4 July 2023. Parliament approved the recommendation on 19 October. His tenure as the opposition leader effectively ended in November 2022 after the speaker of parliament announced the legislature's recognition of Tuilaʻepa in the role had ceased due to his suspension. He was later succeeded by Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo. After the suspension was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on 4 July 2023, he again became opposition leader.

5. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa (b. 1957)

With an HPI of 44.81, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa is the 5th most famous Samoan Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa (pronounced [afɪoŋa fɪameː naomɪ mataʔafa]; born 29 April 1957) is a Samoan politician and High Chiefess (matai) who has served as the seventh Prime Minister of Samoa and leader of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party since 2021.The daughter of Samoa's first prime minister Fiamē Mataʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II, Mata'afa is the first woman to serve as Samoa's head of government and the first to not be a member of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) since 1982. A member of the HRPP until 2020, she was the first woman appointed to Cabinet in Samoa's history. Mata'afa was the Minister of Education from 1991 to 2006 in the governments of prime ministers Tofilau Eti Alesana and Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi. In addition, she was the Minister of Women from 2006 to 2011 and minister of justice from 2011 to 2016. Mata'afa served as Samoa's first female deputy prime minister and deputy leader of the HRPP from 2016 to 2020, resigning in opposition to the controversial Land and Titles Bill. The following year she joined the newly founded FAST party and was unanimously elected its leader in March 2021.Mataʻafa won a majority in the 2021 election, but defeated Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi refused to leave office, leading to the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis. The crisis was resolved by Samoa's Court of Appeal on 23 July 2021, which ruled that Mataʻafa had been prime minister since 24 May.