He was elected to the National Parliament as an independent at the 2012 election on his fifth attempt. He had previously been defeated in the Henganofi seat at the 1997, 2002 and 2007 elections, on the last occasion for the National Party. He immediately caused some controversy by proposing a bill that would ban commissions of inquiry and tribunals in what a major newspaper described as "an attempt to legalise official corruption". In February 2014, Atiyafa, who had by now joined the governing People's National Congress, was appointed Minister for Police.
