| Honorific Prefix: | His Highness Le Afioga |
| Office: | O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa |
| Primeminister: | Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi |
| Term Start: | 20 June 2007 |
| Term End: | 21 July 2017 Acting: 11 May 2007 – 20 June 2007 |
| Predecessor: | Malietoa Tanumafili II |
| Successor: | Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II |
| Office1: | 3rd Prime Minister of Western Samoa |
| 1Namedata1: | Malietoa Tanumafili II |
| Term Start1: | 18 September 1982 |
| Term End1: | 31 December 1982 |
| Predecessor1: | Va'ai Kolone |
| Successor1: | Tofilau Eti Alesana |
| 1Blankname2: | O le Ao O le Malo |
| 1Namedata2: | Malietoa Tanumafili II |
| Term Start2: | 24 March 1976 |
| Term End2: | 13 April 1982 |
| Predecessor2: | Lealofi IV (acting) |
| Successor2: | Va'ai Kolone |
| Office3: | Member of the Council of Deputies |
| 1Namedata3: | Malietoa Tanumafili II |
| Term Start3: | 2004 |
| Term End3: | 20 June 2007 |
| Office4: | Deputy Prime Minister of Western Samoa |
| Primeminister4: | Va'ai Kolone |
| Term Start4: | 30 December 1985 |
| Term End4: | 8 April 1988 |
| Successor4: | Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi |
| Office5: | 1st Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Term Start5: | 18 September 1982 |
| Term End5: | 31 December 1982 |
| Predecessor5: | Va'ai Kolone |
| Successor5: | Lauofo Meti |
| Term Start6: | 24 March 1976 |
| Term End6: | 13 April 1982 |
| Successor6: | Va'ai Kolone |
| Office7: | Member of the Samoan Parliament |
| Term Start7: | 26 February 1988 |
| Term End7: | 2004 |
| Predecessor7: | Afioga Savea Sione |
| Successor7: | Lufilufi Moefaauo |
| Constituency7: | Anoama'a East |
| Term Start8: | 7 February 1970 |
| Term End8: | 26 February 1988 |
| Predecessor8: | Taimalie Meapelo |
| Successor8: | Alipia Siaosi |
| Constituency8: | Aana Alofi No. 2[1] |
| Term Start9: | May 1965 |
| Term End9: | 25 February 1967 |
| Predecessor9: | Masoe Tulele |
| Successor9: | Va'ai Kolone |
| Constituency9: | Vaisigano No. 1 |
| Birth Name: | Olaf Efi Tamasese |
| Birth Date: | 1 March 1938 |
| Birth Place: | Motootua, Western Samoa (now Samoa) |
| Party: | Independent |
| Spouse: | Masiofo Filifilia Imo Tamasese |
| Mother: | Irene Gustava Noue Nelson |
| Alma Mater: | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Nationality: | Samoan |
Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi (born Olaf "Efi" Tamasese; 1 March 1938) is a Samoan political leader and paramount chief, as holder of the maximal lineage Tama-a-ʻāiga title of Tupua Tamasese. He also holds the royal pāpā title of Tui Ātua ('sovereign' of Atua).[2]
Tui Ātua served as the third prime minister of Samoa from 1976 to 1982 and again later in 1982.[3] He also served as O le Ao o le Malo (head of state of Samoa) from 2007 to 2017.[4]
Tupua was born on 1 March 1938 at Motoʻotua in Samoa.[5] 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.[5] He is also the nephew of Samoa's celebrated independence movement leader, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III and the cousin of the nation's second prime minister, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV.[6]
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.[5] He was also educated at Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand's capital city.[5]
Tupua began his political career in May 1965, when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the Vaisigano No. 1 constituency.[7] He served as Samoa's Minister of Works from 1970 until 1972.[5]
Tupua served as prime minister for two consecutive terms from 1976 to 1982.[5] He also served as deputy prime minister from 1985 to 1988.[8] 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.[9]
Tupua became Leader of the Opposition following his Christian Democratic Party's election defeat in 1982.[5] He also headed the Samoan National Development Party. He continued to serve Anoamaʻa East as MP until 2004[5] when he was appointed to Samoa's Council of Deputies alongside Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II.[8]
Upon Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV's death in 1983, the question as to a successor was raised with Tupuola Efi staking his claim. However, this would require ʻĀiga Sā Fenunuivao agreeing to his appointment. Salani agreed, however Falefa and Lufilufi opposed it. Tupuola Efi proceeded without the unanimous support of ʻĀiga Sā Fenunuivao. On the morning of his installation ceremony at Vaimoso, the nation's public broadcaster, Radio 2AP, read an announcement from the Moeono at the time, Moeono Alaiʻasā Kolio, notifying the country that ʻĀiga Sā Fenunuivao as well as the leaders of Lufilufi – the traditional seat of the Tupua Tamasese title – had not sanctioned Tufuga Efi's ascension to the title, effectively nullifying the candidate's grasp for the title once again.
In 1986, Tupuola Efi sought out ʻĀiga Sā Fenunuivao
However, the right of joint conferral was later challenged in court. In 1987, the court ruled that the right of conferral of the Tupua Tamasese title belonged exclusively to ʻĀiga Sā Fenunuivao of Falefa and Salani, based on the customary criteria of descent, relevant knowledge and skill, residence and service.[10]
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 temporary acting head of state with Tuimalealiʻifano, as members of the Council of Deputies. Tupua was elected head of state on 16 June 2007. His was the only nomination put forth in Samoa's Fono (parliament) and thus the decision was unanimous. His election was welcomed by many Samoans both in Samoa and abroad.[11] He was sworn into office on 20 June 2007.[12]
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 Tama-a-ʻāiga 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 Tama-a-ʻāiga, Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II.[13]
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.[5] He later became an Associate Member of the Matahauariki Institute at Waikato University.[5] He was a PhD examiner at Australian National University in Canberra for Pacific and Samoan history.[5]
Tupua was a resident scholar of the Pacific Studies Centre of the Australian National University and the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at University of Canterbury in New Zealand.[5]
Tupua helped to begin excavations at Samoa's important Pulemelei Mound archaeological site. Samoans, under Tupua Tamasese, carried out a ceremony to honour Thor Heyerdahl for his contributions to Polynesia and the Pulemelei Mound excavations in 2003.[14]
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.[15]
Tupua was awarded an honorary doctorate by St Andrew's University in 2019.[16]
Tupua wrote three books, and articles in scholarly journals and publications.[5]
In July 2008 while attending the coronation of George Tupou V of Tonga he was made a Knight grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Crown of Tonga.[17]
He was awarded the Order of Merit of Samoa in the 2023 Samoa Honours and Awards.[18]
Tupua is married to Masiofo Filifilia Imo, who is also known as Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese.