Tikoinasau was appointed to the Cabinet on 8 April 2005, to replace Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, who resigned following his conviction and imprisonment for his role in the 2000 coup.
The Fiji Times quoted him on 22 December 2005 as saying that not allowing the landowners to dictate the terms of the leases was a violation of their rights.
On 22 December 2005, he called for a halt to investigations into the 2000 coup, saying that pursuing the matter further was pointless and served only to undermine investor confidence and to distract attention from national rebuilding.
The Fiji Village news service (25 February 2006) reported that Tikoinasau had called for the introduction of a national tithe to fund an anti-poverty campaign.
In September 2008 he was part of a group of politicians who filed a complaint of treason against dictator Frank Bainimarama over the coup.