ûAisake Valu Eke is a Tongan politician who served as prime minister of Tonga from January to December 2025. He also served in the Cabinet as Minister for Finance and National Planning from 2014 to 2017.
Eke received a degree in economics during the 1980s at the University of the South Pacific. He undertook his doctorate at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, where he was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration for his thesis "An exploratory study on the quality of service in the public sector in Tonga" completed in 2013.
A former Secretary for Finance at the Ministry of Finance, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly at the November 2010 general election as MP for Tongatapu 5. Though close to the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, and despite having considered running as a party member, he stood as an independent, taking the seat with 24.1% of the vote and a 63-vote margin; Tongatapu 5 was thus the only constituency on Tongatapu (Tonga's main island) not to be won by the party.
Once elected, he told the press there was much to be done to improve the economy, and said the government should facilitate private sector activity.
In October 2011, he was one of several MPs to protest against Parliament voting large allowances to any of its members on sick leave overseas. Stating that MPs should not be spending more public money on themselves at a time when the economy was weak, he was one of eight MPs to vote against the increased allowances (along with ûAkilisi Pohiva, Semisi Sika, Sitiveni Halapua, Sangster Saulala, Sione Taione, Falisi Tupou and Moûale Finau, all members of the Democratic Party). The motion was adopted by twelve votes to eight.
In January 2014, Prime Minister Lord Tuûivakano appointed him Minister of Finance, following the sacking of Lisiate âÂÂAkolo over a disagreement concerning the budget. He subsequently kept that position in Prime Minister ûAkilisi Pohiva's government. In March 2017, however, he abstained during a parliamentary vote on a motion of no confidence against the government he was part of, and was compelled to resign. He subsequently lost his seat at the 2017 election.
He was re-elected in the seat of Tongatapu 5 in the 2021 election. In the aftermath of the election he was one of three candidates for Prime Minister, but was ultimately defeated by Siaosi Sovaleni, who won the Premiership with 16 votes. In May 2022 he was absolved of bribery by the Supreme Court.
On 24 December 2024, Eke was elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, defeating Viliami Latu by 16 votes to eight. King Tupou VI formally appointed Eke as prime minister on 22 January 2025. His cabinet was announced on 28 January and included four appointees to parliament, two of whom were women. The cabinet also included one noble, Crown Prince Tupoutoûa ûUlukalala, who became foreign minister.
In February 2025 Eke announced that the previous government's decision to privatise Vavaûu International Airport would be reversed.
Eke was re-elected at the 2025 election, and ran in the subsequent parliamentary election for prime minister, held on 15 December. He received 10 votes and was defeated by the parliamentary speaker, Fatafehi FakafÃÂnua, who received 16. FakafÃÂnua succeeded Eke on 18 December.