Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio

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The Honourable Afioga Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio MP
Ponifasio in 2022
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 May 2021[a]
Prime Minister	Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded by	Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa (2020)
Minister of Customs and Revenue
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 May 2021
Prime Minister	Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa
Preceded by	Tialavea Tionisio Hunt
Member of the Samoan Parliament for Gagaʻemauga No. 1
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 2021
Preceded by	Sala Fata Pinati
Personal details
Political party	Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (since 2021)[b]
Other political affiliations	Independent (until 2021)
Alma mater	Victoria University of Wellington University of Auckland
Military service
Allegiance	New Zealand
Branch/service	Royal New Zealand Army
Years of service	2004–2008
Rank	Captain

Afioga Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio^[1] is a Samoan politician, lawyer and Cabinet Minister who has served as the deputy prime minister of Samoa since 2021. Elected to parliament as an independent, Ponifasio became kingmaker following the 2021 election and later joined the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.

Ponifasio was removed from FAST in 2025, along with Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa and three cabinet ministers. Ponifasio and the expelled ministers, denounced the expulsion as unlawful and continued to claim they were FAST members.^[2]

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