Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio

The Honourable Afioga
Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio
The Honourable Afioga Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio
	Ponifasio in 2022
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa
	In office; 24 May 2021 – 16 September 2025
Prime Minister	Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded by	Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Succeeded by	Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo
Minister of Customs and Revenue
	In office; 24 May 2021 – 16 September 2025
Prime Minister	Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa
Preceded by	Tialavea Tionisio Hunt
Succeeded by	Masinalupe Makesi Pisi
Member of the Samoan Parliament; for Gagaʻemauga No. 1
	In office; 9 April 2021 – 3 June 2025
Preceded by	Sala Fata Pinati
Succeeded by	Vaʻaaoao Salumalo Alofipo
Personal details
Party	Samoa Uniting Party (since 2025)
Other political; affiliations	Independent (until 2021); Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (2021–2025);
Alma mater	Victoria University of Wellington; University of Auckland;
Military service
Allegiance	New Zealand
Branch/service	Royal New Zealand Army
Years of service	1983-87 - 2004–2008

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Afioga Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio is a Samoan politician and lawyer who served as the deputy prime minister of Samoa from 2021 to 2025. 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 other cabinet ministers. Ponifasio and the expelled ministers, denounced the expulsion as unlawful and initially claimed they were FAST members. After Mata‘afa called a snap election following parliament's rejection of the government budget on 27 May, Ponifasio, along with the rest of cabinet, confirmed they had left FAST and joined Mata‘afa's Samoa Uniting Party (SUP). Ponifasio lost re-election in his seat of Gagaʻemauga No. 1 at the 2025 snap election.