Niko Nawaikula

Nawaikula first ran for parliament as a candidate for the Conservative Alliance (CAMV) in a byelection in the Cakaudrove West Fijian Communal Constituency in 2005. The by-election has been called following the imprisonment of the incumbent, Ratu Vakalalabure (Ratu Osea's older brother), on charges related to his role in the Fiji coup of 2000. Nawaikula was declared elected unopposed on 22 June 2005 after the only other candidate, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL)'s Ratu Osea Vakalalabure (Ratu Vakalalabure's younger brother), withdrew from the contest, thus averting the scheduled byelection.^[3] The CAMV had called on the SDL to withdraw its candidate on the basis of a coalition agreement between the two parties.

Nawaikula was re-elected in the 2006 elections as an SDL candidate, following the merger of the CAMV and the SDL. He was subsequently elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He lost the position when parliament was dissolved by the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.

Nawaikula returned to Parliament as a candidate of the Social Democratic Liberal Party in the 2014 elections, the first since the 2006 coup. He was re-elected in the 2018 elections,^[4] winning 5187 votes.

In July 2021 his seat in Parliament was declared vacant after Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem removed his name from the electoral roll. In August 2021 Chief Justice Kamal Kumar ruled that Saneem had acted unlawfully, and that Nawaikula was still an MP.^[5]

On 3 May 2022, Nawaikula was convicted of giving false information as well as obtaining a financial advantage.^[6] As a result, his seat was declared vacant and he was disqualified from contesting the 2022 Fijian general election.^[7] On 20 May, he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.^[8][9]