Hama Amadou (born 1950) is a
NigerNiger , officially the Republic of Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
ien 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 SocietyThe National Movement for the Development of Society - MNSD / MNSD-NASSARA is a political party in Niger. Founded under the military government of the 1974-1990 period, it is currently the ruling party of Niger, and the party of the president, Tandja Mamadou.-Under military rule:The MNSD was...
(MNSD-Nassara) from 1991 to 2001 and President of the MNSD-Nassara from 2001 to 2009. Amadou is from the
KurteyThe Kurtey people are a small ethnic group found along the Niger River valley in parts of the West African nations of Niger, Benin, Mali, and Nigeria.-Assimilation into Songhai:...
, a
PeulFula or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group of people spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
sub group, and was raised in the Tillaberi Region, in the
Niger RiverThe Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
valley, north of
NiameyNiamey is the capital of the West African nation of Niger. It is Niger's largest city, lying on the Niger River, mostly on the east bank. It is an administrative, cultural and economic center. Niamey's population, officially 774,235 at the 2006 census, is estimated much higher...
.
As a result of corruption allegations against his government, he was removed from office as Prime Minister through a 2007 no-confidence vote in the
National AssemblyThe unicameral National Assembly of Niger is the country's sole legislative body. All ministers of government, including the Prime Minister of Niger, are elected members of this body...
. In 2008 he became the target of a corruption investigation which saw him arrested to face criminal charges at the Nigerien High Court of Justice and removed from his post as MNSD President.
Under Kountché and Saibou
During the regime of
Seyni KountchéSeyni Kountché was a Nigerien military officer who led a 1974 coup d'état that deposed the government of Niger's first president, Hamani Diori. He ruled the country as military head of state from 1974 to 1987...
, Amadou was Director-General of the Office of Radio Broadcasting and Television of Niger (ORTN) from 1983 to 1985 and became Director of the Cabinet in 1985. Following Kountché's death, Amadou was named Minister of Information under his successor,
Ali SaibouAli Saibou was the President of Niger from 1987 to 1993, succeeding the deceased Seyni Kountché.A member of the Djerma people, he was born in Dingajibanda, a village of Ouallam arrondissement...
, on July 15, 1988, serving until December 20, 1989.
Third Republic
At an MNSD congress held in November 1991, Amadou was elected as its Secretary-General, while
Tandja MamadouLieutenant Colonel Tandja Mamadou is a Nigerien politician who has been the President of Niger since 1999. He was President of the National Movement of the Development Society from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD's presidential candidate in 1993 and 1996 before being elected to...
was elected as the President of the MNSD.
Amadou was elected to the National Assembly in the February 1993 parliamentary election as an MNSD candidate in Niamey.
In another election held in January 1995, an opposition alliance, primarily composed of the MNSD and the
Nigerien Party for Democracy and SocialismThe Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism is a political party in Niger. It is a broadly left-wing party, part of the Socialist International, and it is the country's main opposition party. The party's President is Mahamadou Issoufou, its Vice-President is Mohamed Bazoum, and its...
(PNDS), won a majority of seats, resulting in
cohabitationCohabitation in government occurs in semi-presidential systems, such as France's system, when the President is from a different political party than the majority of the members of parliament. It occurs because such a system forces the president to name a premier that will be acceptable to the...
between the government, led by Amadou, and President
Mahamane OusmaneMahamane Ousmane is a Nigerien politician. He was the first democratically elected President of Niger, serving from 16 April 1993 until his ouster in a military coup d'état on 27 January 1996. He has continued to run for President in each election since his ouster, and he has been President of the...
. Initially, the parliamentary majority put forward Amadou as its sole candidate for the position of prime minister, rather than submit three candidates from which Ousmane would choose the prime minister. Ousmane rejected this and appointed
Amadou CisséAmadou Boubacar Cissé is a Nigerien politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Niger on two occasions, from 8 to 21 February 1995 and again from 21 December 1996 to 27 November 1997.Cissé, a member of the Peulh ethnic group, was born in Niamey...
, also an MNSD member, as prime minister, but the parliamentary majority would not accept Cissé. Ousmane backed down and appointed Amadou as prime minister after two weeks, on February 21, 1995. Amadou and Ousmane came into sharp conflict with one another, and the political system became paralyzed by the dispute. Beginning in April 1995, Ousmane refused to attend meetings of the Council of Ministers; Amadou replaced parastatal managers in July despite Ousmane's objections, and Amadou attempted to assume the presidential role with regard to the Council of Ministers.
Under Maïnassara
On January 27, 1996, a military coup led by
Ibrahim Baré MaïnassaraIbrahim Baré Maïnassara was a military officer in the West African country of Niger who seized power in a January 1996 coup d'état and ruled the country until his assassination during the military coup of April 1999....
ousted both Amadou and Ousmane, and they were both placed under house arrest for several months.
On January 2, 1998, Amadou was arrested for allegedly leading a plot to assassinate Maïnassara. He was released on bail on January 8, but was charged with forming an illegal militia. Amadou denied the charge and said that the arrest was political harassment and a means to distract the people.
Fourth Republic
Maïnassara was assassinated in an April 1999 coup, and new elections were held in late 1999. The MNSD's presidential candidate, Tandja Mamadou, won the presidential election. In the parliamentary election, held in November, the MNSD again won the largest number of seats, and through an alliance with Ousmane's party, the
Democratic and Social Convention-RahamaThe Democratic and Social Convention -Rahama is a political party in Niger. It was founded in January 1991. In the 1993 presidential election, the party's leader, Mahamane Ousmane, was elected president...
(CDS), it held a majority in the new parliament.
Amadou was again elected to the National Assembly in the 1999 parliamentary election as an MNSD candidate from Niamey, but left his seat to become Prime Minister on January 3, 2000. On this occasion he told the deputies of the National Assembly that Niger faced a "disastrous" financial situation and that "the coffers are absolutely empty", asking them to temporarily go without their salaries as deputies.
As President of Niger, Tandja had to give up his position as President of the MNSD. Hamidou Sékou acted as interim president of the party until Amadou, who was until that point the party's Secretary-General, was elected as President of the MNSD on December 21, 2001.
While Amadou was campaigning for the July 2004 municipal elections, the helicopter in which he was travelling reportedly crashed on July 14, 2004 at Magaria in eastern Niger. Amadou survived the crash. He refused to rely on UN's food aid in 2005, stating that the
harvestIn agriculture, the harvest is the processes of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. The harvest marks the end of the growing season, or the growing cycle for a particular crop, and this is the...
was enough and that such aid was an insult to Niger's dignity.
2007 no-confidence vote
Amadou's government lost a no-confidence vote on May 31, 2007, with 62 deputies out of 113 deputies in favor of the motion. The vote was prompted by allegations of corruption regarding embezzled funds that had been intended for education. Although supported by the MNSD deputies, two other groups, including the CDS, joined the opposition
Nigerien Party for Democracy and SocialismThe Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism is a political party in Niger. It is a broadly left-wing party, part of the Socialist International, and it is the country's main opposition party. The party's President is Mahamadou Issoufou, its Vice-President is Mohamed Bazoum, and its...
(PNDS) to form a majority against the government. Amadou submitted his government's resignation immediately afterward; he called the vote an "expression of democracy" while also noting that the government had survived past no-confidence votes.
As a result of the no-confidence vote, President
Tandja MamadouLieutenant Colonel Tandja Mamadou is a Nigerien politician who has been the President of Niger since 1999. He was President of the National Movement of the Development Society from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD's presidential candidate in 1993 and 1996 before being elected to...
had the choice of naming a new prime minister or calling new elections. He named
Seyni OumarouSeyni Oumarou is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from June 2007 to September 2009. He is from the west of the country and is a member of the Djerma ethnic group. Since November 2008, he has been the President of the National Movement for the Development of Society .-Early...
, one of three candidates selected by parliament, as prime minister on June 3; Oumarou had previously been part of Amadou's government as Minister of State for Equipment.
2008 corruption charges
Amadou retained his post as President of MNSD-Nassara, but in 2008 faced another challenge. The Gendarmerie Nationale of Niger opened another investigation into the former prime minister, this time on charges he had embezzled 100 million CFA (152 500 Euros) of foreign aid for independent press and communications development during the 2000 to 2006 period. Subsequent High Court investigations reduced the alleged amount by two-thirds. Mamadou Tandja called a special session of the National Assembly on 14 June 2008 to examine the case, as all sitting members of parliament hold immunity from prosecution. While the men had previously been close political allies, with Amadou seen as Tandja's chosen successor, their relationship had deteriorated over Amadou's years in power, and it was rumoured that the two had become rivals. Amadou publicly claimed that the charges were a "political plot" by portions of his own party. Amadou faced both a jail term and the loss of his right to hold political office in Niger if convicted.
A 14-member special panel examined the charges, and passed censure motions to the National Assembly; after over 24 hours of debate, the National Assembly voted 72 to 28 to strip Amadou of his immunity, and passed the case on to the Nigerien High Court of Justice. On 26 June 2008, Amadou was arrested, and later transported to the civil prison at Koutoukaté, north of
NiameyNiamey is the capital of the West African nation of Niger. It is Niger's largest city, lying on the Niger River, mostly on the east bank. It is an administrative, cultural and economic center. Niamey's population, officially 774,235 at the 2006 census, is estimated much higher...
. His first appearance before the
commission d'instruction of the High Court was pushed back from 29 July to 6 August 2008, at which time his request for release on bail was rejected by Bouba Mahamane, the
procureur général of the High Court. In early August 2008
ZinderZinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000...
and
TillaberiTillabéri is a town in north west Niger. It is situated 120 km north-west of the capital Niamey on the River Niger. It is an important market town and administrative center, it is capital of the department of Tillabéri and Tillabéri Region. The town had a population of over 16000 at the 2001...
sections of the MNSD proposed that Amadou be removed as party President. Amadou, his legal team, and his remaining supporters with the MNSD-Nassara have charged the president and the government with inventing these charges to prevent Amadou from standing as a presidential candidate in the December 2009 election. They point to the removal of two of his political allies, Amadou Sala and Omar Hamidou Tchiana, from high political posts since Amadou's arrest.
Thousands of Amadou supporters protested his imprisonment at a rally in Niamey on 19 October 2008. Another pro-Amadou rally was planned for 26 October, but it was banned by the authorities.
Loss of MNSD leadership
Due to his imprisonment, Amadou designated
Habi Mahamadou SalissouHabi Mahamadou Salissou is a Nigerien politician and a former Secretary-General of the centre-right National Movement for the Development of Society...
, the MNSD Secretary-General, as the party's Interim President. This decision was not accepted by Amadou's opponents in the party, who voted to instead install Hamidou Sékou as Interim President on 7 September 2008.
Despite ongoing support for Amadou from sections of the MNSD, especially from his political base in Tillabery, Amadou was stripped of the formal leadership of the ruling party in early 2009. A special congress of the MNSD-Nassara held in
ZinderZinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000...
on 21 February 2009 elected Prime Minister Oumarou to succeed Amadou as MNSD President. Minister of the Interior
Albadé AboubaAlbadé Abouba is a Nigerien politician, currently serving in the government as Minister of State for the Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization. He is also the Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society ....
was voted Secretary-General of the party, replacing Salissou. This result came after months of wrangling between pro-Tandja and pro-Amadou elements in the party that threatened to split the MNSD and saw pro-Amadou groups join opposition protests against a floated plan to extend Tandja's term beyond 2009.
Illness
Amadou was transferred from Koutoukalé prison to the National Hospital in
NiameyNiamey is the capital of the West African nation of Niger. It is Niger's largest city, lying on the Niger River, mostly on the east bank. It is an administrative, cultural and economic center. Niamey's population, officially 774,235 at the 2006 census, is estimated much higher...
in early March 2009, suffering from an unidentified illness, which the government stated was not life threatening. Three weeks later, at the beginning of April, he was transferred back to prison, despite protests and a march by his supporters in Niamey, and legal action by his lawyers. Agence France Presse reported that government medical experts brought to clear him for release back to prison had recommended he be transferred instead to a hospital in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, but were overruled. According to his wife, his poor health condition was related to low blood pressure and hypoglycaemia.
High Court trial
Amadou's lawyers announced in April 2009 that the instruction and formation of the High Court of Justice was complete and they expected a trial to commence. The High Court is a provisional institution for the trial of political figures, overseen by the
Supreme Court of NigerThe current Judiciary of Niger was established with the creation of the Fourth Republic in 1999. The constitution of December 1992 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and, again, by referendum, revised to the current version on 18 July 1999...
but formed from seven sitting deputies of the
National Assembly of NigerThe unicameral National Assembly of Niger is the country's sole legislative body. All ministers of government, including the Prime Minister of Niger, are elected members of this body...
. On 23 April 2009, the High Court of Justice ordered that Amadou be conditionally released for health reasons; in accordance with the High Court's decision, he was promptly released from prison after being detained for 10 months. Amadou complained that conditions in prison were poor and said that they should be improved.
Following his release, Amadou left Niger for medical treatment. Pointing to an inquiry that alleged Amadou held 15,000 shares in
EcobankEcobank, whose official name is Ecobank Transnational Inc., is a pan-African banking group with a presence in more African countries than any other bank...
, Nigerien authorities issued an international warrant for his arrest on 30 July 2009. Amadou spoke on
Radio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France to serve as a broadcast vehicle for French Equatorial Africa. In 1986 a new law passed by the French Parliament allowed RFI to operate independently of Radio France.RFI operates under the auspices...
on 31 July, deriding the corruption allegations as absurd: "Do you think someone is capable of stealing 16 billion CFA francs from the budget of Niger? If I had stolen 16 billion then why haven't the ministers who helped me steal it been named in the file?" He also said that Tandja simply wanted him imprisoned "for some reason or another".
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