He succeeded Siaosi Sovaleni, who served from 2021 until his resignation in December 2024, shortly before a planned no-confidence motion, which Eke introduced.

[11][12] Sovaleni announced his new cabinet on 29 December, which included one woman, Fekitamoeloa ʻUtoikamanu, who was appointed foreign minister.

Cabinet initially rejected the King's decrees,[14][15] culminating in a constitutional crisis, with Attorney-General Linda Folaumoetuʻi stating that the dismissals were unconstitutional.

In April, Sovaleni and ʻUtoikamanu agreed to accept the King's decrees and relinquished their respective portfolios.

[23] The Legislative Assembly of Tonga has up to 30 members, of which 17 are directly elected by first-past-the-post voting from single-member constituencies.

Ineligible voters include those who have served a prison sentence of at least two years and individuals convicted of a criminal offence.

[24] To qualify, candidates are required to be eligible voters and present in Tonga for at least a three-month period within the six months before an election.

[27] Candidates running for a people's seat also require the signatures of at least 50 qualified electors from the constituency they contest and a deposit to be paid.