Salou Djibo is a Nigerien Army officer. After President Mamadou Tandja's attempts to remain in power beyond his term, Djibo led the military coup of 18 February 2010 that ousted Tandja, after which he became the head of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy. The Supreme Council returned power to a new civil government after the 2011 elections.

Mahamadou Issoufou is a Nigerien politician who served as the president of Niger from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021. Issoufou was the prime minister of Niger from 1993 to 1994, president of the National Assembly from 1995 to 1996, and a candidate in each presidential election from 1993 to 2016. He led the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya), a social democratic party, from its foundation in 1990 until his election as president in 2011. During the presidency of Mamadou Tandja (1999–2010), Issoufou was the main opposition leader.