Epeli Nailatikau
Sign in to saveAlso known as Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Mr. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
President of Fiji
Key facts
- Prime minister
- Frank Bainimarama
- Preceded by
- Josefa Iloilo
- Succeeded by
- George Konrote
- President
- Josefa Iloilo
- Born
- ( 1941-07-05 ) 5 July 1941, Suva , Colony of Fiji
- Died
- 26 March 2026 (2026-03-26) (aged 84)
- Party
- Independent
- Spouse
- Adi Koila Mara ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1981 )
- Parent
- Edward Cakobau (father)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Fiji
- Place of birth
- Suva
- Spouse
- Koila Nailatikau
- Father
- Edward Cakobau
- Occupation
- politician
- Educated at
- University of Oxford
- Political party
- independent politician
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Military rank
- brigadier general
- Image
- Epeli Nailatikau 2012.jpg
- Number of children
- 2
Show 6 more facts
- date of birth
- 1941-07-05
- Commons category
- Epeli Nailatikau
- name in native language
- Epeli Nailatikau
- P10632
- Epeli Nailatikau
- date of death
- 2026-03-26
- allegiance
- Fiji
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, CF, LVO, OBE, MSD, KStJ ( Fijian pronunciation: [epeli nailatʃikau]; 5 July 1941 – 26 March 2026), often referred to as Na Turaga Mai Naisogolaca, was a Fijian chief who was President of Fiji from 2009 to 2015. He had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and government. From 2001 to 2006 he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives – the lower and more powerful chamber of the Fijian Parliament. He was also the chairman of the Parliamentary Appropriations Committee and of the House Committee. On 8 January 2007, he was appointed the interim Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade; he was moved to the post of interim Minister for Provincial Development and Multi-Ethnic Affairs in September 2008. In October 2008, he became Indigenous Affairs Minister "and effectively Great Council of Chiefs chairman". On 17 April 2009, he was appointed Vice-President by the military government.
On 30 July 2009, he became acting president after the retirement of President Josefa Iloilo. On 5 November 2009, he was sworn in as President of Fiji. George Konrote was elected to succeed him in October 2015.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Epeli Nailatikau” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.