Tufuga Efi

Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi (born Olaf "Efi" Tamasese; He is currently a member of the Council of Deputies, having previously sat on the council from 2004 to 2007.

As a paramount chief, he heads one of Samoa's two royal families, the Sā Tupua (descendants of Queen Salamasina), through the family's maximal lineage title, Tupua Tamasese; he also holds the ancient pāpā title of Tui Ātua (sovereign of Atua).

Early life and education Tupua was born on 1 March 1938 at Motoʻotua in Samoa. He is the son of Samoa's first co-head of state (O le Ao o le Malo), Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole (1905–1963), and Irene Gustava Noue Nelson, of Samoan, Swedish and British descent.

Tupua attended primary school at the Marist Brothers School at Mulivai in the Samoan capital of Apia. He continued his education at St. Patrick's College in Silverstream, Wellington, New Zealand. He served as Samoa's Minister of Works from 1970 until 1972. It was during his second term as prime minister that the Public Service Association went on a general strike in 1981, paralysing the country for several months and paving the way for the opposition Human Rights Protection Party's entry to government in 1982. The party would go on to hold power until 2021.

Tupua became Leader of the Opposition following his Christian Democratic Party's election defeat in 1982.

O le Ao o le Malo On 11 May 2007, following the death of Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoa's head of state since independence in 1962, Tupua assumed the functions of acting head of state with Tuimalealiʻifano, as members of the Council of Deputies. His election was welcomed by many Samoans both in Samoa and abroad. He was sworn into office on 20 June 2007.

He was re-elected in July 2012 by a majority vote of the Legislative Assembly. However, he was not re-appointed as of 20 July 2017 after a controversial move by the prime minister which saw a legislative assembly vote of 23 to 15. This was after an initial vote that was taken, which saw the tamaʻāiga gain the majority of support from the ruling HRPP caucus. This was seen as but a mere formality and that Tui Ātua would again be elected to office to serve as Head of State. However, owing to decades of tension with the then-Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, Tui Ātua was instead replaced in a backroom vote by another tamaʻāiga, Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II.

Later political career In December 2024 he was reappointed to the Council of Deputies. He formally took his seat on the council in January 2025.

Academia Tupua held a number of academic positions during and after his political career as an MP and prime minister.

Tupua served as an adjunct professor for Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in New Zealand.

In late 2007 Tupua established an overseas boarding school scholarship to St. Patrick's College, Silverstream, which allows one student per year to live and be schooled in New Zealand for all their college years, beginning in 2008.

Tupua was awarded an honorary doctorate by St Andrew's University in 2019.

Publications Tupua wrote three books, and articles in scholarly journals and publications.

He was awarded the Order of Merit of Samoa in the 2023 Samoa Honours and Awards.

Personal life Tupua is married to Masiofo Filifilia Imo, who is also known as Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese.

Ancestry