He was the youngest of twelve children and was given the birth name Aualamalefalelima, which is the traditional salutation of the tulafales of Vaitogi village.

His parents moved with him to Savaiʻi to be a matai in the village of Lalomalava and Alesana joined Western Samoa politics a few years later.

Alesana helped form the Human Rights Protection Party which won power in 1982.

Alesana served as prime minister for the first time from 1982 until 1985 when he was deposed by Parliament with the help of disgruntled members of his own party.

[6] Tofilau was born to Samoan upper-class parents, Reverend James Alesana Fai'ivae and Vaoita Iosefa Mala'itai.