It ousted Niger's first democratically elected president, Mahamane Ousmane after nearly three years in power and installed General Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara as head of state.

Mahamane Ousmane was elected President of the Republic with 55.42% of the vote against Mamadou Tandja, the leader of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD).

A confidant of Mamadou Tandja, Hama Amadou, became prime minister under a cohabitation with president Ousmane, giving way to a complex political situation in a still yet nascent democracy.

[3] The conflict between the president and the prime minister paralyzed the country for almost one year, while the economic situation was already catastrophic following a stalemate in negotiations with financial backers due to political instability, falling prices for Niger's only export, uranium, and a depreciation of the Nigerian naira that cancelled out the effect of the CFA franc's devaluation.

As an ex military attaché and ambassador in Paris, he was also well known to Niger's former colonial ruler, France, a country whose influence and control has remained decisive.

[3][4] On the afternoon of 27 January 1996, the army, commanded by colonel Baré Maïnassara, entered into action by imprisoning the three highest ranking members of the government and suspending political parties.