In the 1980s—following his father's 1980 release from prison and house arrest in 1984—Abdoulaye became political leader of a short-lived armed rebel group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Niger (Front populaire de libération du Niger, FPLN).
[5] The FPLN, made up mostly of Nigerien Tuareg fighters and based in Libya, carried out an armed assault on an armory in the northern town of Tchintabaradene in March 1985, but was repulsed by government forces.
[6] Following the death of Seyni Kountche, Abdoulaye returned from Libya, joining his father and their former political rival Sawaba leader Djibo Bakary in meeting with new President Ali Saibou, announcing an amnesty and a series of reforms.
[5][7] Abdoulaye returned to politics when military rule finally ended in 1991 as Niamey chapter leader of his father's former party, the PPN-RDA.
[1][8] Like his father, Abdoulaye Hamani Diori stood for elections representing constituencies in Dogondoutchi Department, Dosso Region, centered around his mother's native town of Togone and his father's native town of Soudouré, Dosso Region (which is now part of the Niamey Capital District).