He was president of the High Council of the Republic during the 1991–93 transitional period, briefly served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1996, and was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1999.
At the end of 1990, the regime acquiesced to demands for a return to civilian rule and a national conference was convened in July 1991 to prepare the way for the adoption of a new constitution and the holding of free and fair elections.
Professor Salifou was chosen as a neutral figure to be president of the Presidium of the National Conference,[4] which was held from July 29, 1991, to November 3, 1991[3] and established a transitional government leading to democratic elections.
At the Conference, he was elected as president of the High Council of the Republic, which was created to function in a legislative role during the transitional period,[4] which lasted from November 1991 to April 1993.
[7] Like Prime Minister Ahmadou Cheiffou, he was prohibited by the National Conference from standing as a candidate in the presidential election held later in the same month due to his role as president of the High Council of the Republic.
[4] After Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara seized power in a military coup on January 27, 1996, Salifou was appointed Minister of State in charge of Higher Education and Research in the new transitional government named on February 1.