Hama Amadou, Niger’s former Prime Minister and prominent opposition figure, died at age 74 in a hospital in Niamey after battling prolonged medical issues. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Throughout his political career, Amadou served as prime minister twice, from 1995 to 1996 and 1999 to 2007, and held the position of Parliament speaker between 2011 and 2014.
As founder and leader of the Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation in 2009, he emerged as a significant rival to former presidents Mahamadou Issoufou and Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger’s main newspaper L’Enqueteur praised him for weathering all political storms with fierce determination. His political journey was marked by multiple imprisonments, including a 2009 embezzlement case that was later dismissed and a controversial 2015 detention related to alleged infant trafficking from Nigeria.
Despite being imprisoned, Amadou secured second place in the 2016 presidential election and was subsequently released for medical treatment in France.
Following his return to Niger in 2019, he faced another eight-month imprisonment before attempting another presidential run in 2020, which was rejected. After a brief imprisonment in 2021 related to post-election unrest, he received medical treatment in France.
Amadou returned to Niger following the July 2023 coup against Bazoum but remained politically inactive until his death.