Sani Lakatani Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sani Lakatani


Premier of Niue
In office 26 March 1999 – 1 May 2002
Governor-General	Michael Hardie Boys Silvia Cartwright
Preceded by	Frank Lui
Succeeded by	Young Vivian
Minister of Finance
In office 27 February 1993 – October 1994
Premier	Frank Lui
Preceded by	Young Vivian
Succeeded by	Terry Coe
In office 7 April 1990 – September 1990
Premier	Robert Rex
Succeeded by	Young Vivian
Member of Parliament for Common roll
In office 7 April 1990 – November 2004

Personal details
Born	(1936-06-04)4 June 1936
Died	17 January 2026(2026-01-17) (aged 89)
Political party	Niue People's Party

Sani Elia Lagigietama Lakatani (born 4 June 1936, died 17 January 2026) was an important leader in Niue. He served as the Premier of Niue, which is like being the head of the government for this small island nation. He was also a member of the Niue People's Party, a political group in Niue.

Early Life and Service
Starting His Political Journey
Becoming Premier of Niue
After His Time as Premier
Remembering Sani Lakatani
See also

Early Life and Service

Sani Lakatani joined the New Zealand Army and became a corporal. He was part of a group called Whiskey2 that went to Vietnam.

Starting His Political Journey

Sani Lakatani first became a member of the Niue Assembly in the 1990 election. The Niue Assembly is like the parliament or main law-making body of Niue. Initially, his party thought they had won enough seats. However, there was a disagreement about who should lead. Sani Lakatani and some other members decided to support Premier Robert Rex, who then became the leader with more votes.

Sani Lakatani was chosen to be the Minister of Finance, managing Niue's money. But after about five months, he was removed from this role because he suggested a change in leadership.

He was re-elected in 1993 and again became the Minister of Finance under Premier Frank Lui. He stepped down from his role in March 1994, but was asked to return for a short time. Later in October 1994, he was no longer the Finance Minister after some changes in the government team. He then resigned from the Cabinet in November.

Sani Lakatani then joined the group of politicians who were not in power, known as the opposition. This group formed the Niue People's Party. Their actions sometimes made it hard for the Assembly to make decisions. He and other opposition members chose not to attend some important meetings. Because of this, his seat in the Assembly was declared empty for a while. However, he successfully challenged this decision in court and got his seat back. He was also re-elected in the 1996 election.

Becoming Premier of Niue

Sani Lakatani was re-elected in the 1999 election. He became the leader of the Niue People's Party and was then chosen as the Premier of Niue. He won against O'Love Jacobsen in the vote.

As Premier, he made some changes, like reducing the salaries of other politicians. He also tried to get a loan from the Asian Development Bank to help Niue, as support from New Zealand was decreasing. He also worked to start an airline for the island.

In July 1999, he had to go to the hospital in Auckland for a heart operation. While he was recovering, his government became less popular and lost its strong support. A vote to remove him from power ended in a tie. This led to some legal discussions and the opposition members leaving the Assembly. He faced another vote to decide if he should remain Premier in November 2000.

During his time as Premier, he also served as the Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, which is a leader role for the university.

After His Time as Premier

Sani Lakatani was re-elected in the 2002 election. However, due to his strong leadership style, he was no longer the leader of the People's Party. Young Vivian became the new Premier, and Sani Lakatani served as his Deputy (second-in-command).

In August 2002, he was removed from the Cabinet because he voted against the government's budget plan. In 2003, he took a long break from the Assembly to care for his wife in Auckland. He officially left the Assembly in June 2004.