He was also the first democratically elected president of his country, serving from 16 April 1993[2] until he was deposed in a military coup d'état on 27 January 1996.

Since April 2020, he is the president of the Democratic and Republican Renewal (RDR Tchanji),[3] a major political party that is currently in opposition.

He received second place, with 26.59% of the vote, behind Tandja Mamadou of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD); however, with the backing of a coalition of parties known as the Alliance of the Forces of Change (AFC), Ousmane won the presidency in the second round, held on 27 March, taking 54.42%.

Tensions continued to escalate, and Ousmane made clear his intention to dissolve the parliament and call new elections after the passing of one year (he was constitutionally prohibited from doing so sooner).

[5] On 27 January 1996, Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara seized power in a military coup,[6] pointing to the disordered political situation as justification.

[3] On 14 November 2006, Ousmane was elected as Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, defeating another Nigerien politician, Moumouni Adamou Djermakoye, by a vote of 58 to 37.

In that position, he faced the task of coordinating the processes that would facilitate the introduction of direct universal suffrage in the election of members of the Parliament.

[14] Objecting to Tandja's efforts to call a referendum on a constitutional change that could allow him to continue as President, the CDS left the government in June 2009.

Following talks with officials from the European Union on 8 December 2009, Prime Minister Ali Badjo Gamatie announced that the arrest warrants were suspended to facilitate dialogue with the opposition.