Nigerien Action Bloc

The Nigerien Action Bloc (French: Bloc nigérien d'action, abbreviated BNA) was a political party in Niger, active from 1955 to 1956. The party was led by Issoufou Saïdou Djermakoye, a traditional chief and former chairman of the Nigerien Progressive Party (PPN).[1][2] The party emerged from a split in the Nigierien Union of Independents and Sympathizers (UNIS) in 1955.[1][3] BNA was affiliated with the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance (UDSR) in Metropolitan France.[4] The symbol of the party was a horse, and its official colour was yellow.[5]

1956 parliamentary election

A joint list of BNA and the Nigerien Progressive Union (UPN) of Georges Condat won some 126,000 votes in the January 2, 1956 French parliamentary elections.[1][5] The list was the most voted in the fray (finishing in first place in 7 provinces), and the UPN leader Condat won one of the two seats in the French National Assembly.[5] The UPN later merged into BNA.[1][5] Following the merger Issoufou Saïdou served as the chairman of BNA, Condat and Sido Yacouba as vice chairmen, Tiémoko Coulibaly as general secretary and Adamou Mayaki as joint secretary.[6]

1956 municipal elections

BNA won four seats in the Niamey municipal polls of November 18, 1956, finishing in third place behind PPN-RDA and Nigerien Democratic Union (UDN) of Djibo Bakary.[7] With the support of the four BNA councillors, the UDN was able to claim the mayoral post of city.[8] In Zinder the party finished in second place with nine seats.[5] With the support of the UDN, BNA won the mayoral post in Zinder.[1]

Merger with UDN

The following day, on November 19, 1956 BNA merged with the UDN, forming what would soon become the Nigerien branch of the African Socialist Movement (MSA).[1][2][4][9] However, the former (politically moderate) BNA and (politically radical) UDN members would constitute antagonistic factions inside MSA. In 1957 a group of former BNA members revolted against the MSA leadership. Likewise several former BNA leaders supported the 'Yes' vote in the 1958 French constitutional referendum in contrast to Bakary's opposition.[5]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 André Salifou (2010). Biographie politique de Diori Hamani, premier président de la république du Niger. KARTHALA Editions. pp. 77, 79, 299. ISBN 978-2-8111-0202-9.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 John Frank Clark; David E. Gardinier (1997). Political Reform in Francophone Africa. Westview Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-8133-2785-3.
  3. ↑ Emmanuel Grégoire (1986). Les Alhazai de Maradi (Niger): histoire d'un groupe de riches marchands sahéliens. IRD Editions. p. 19. ISBN 978-2-7099-0755-2.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Virginia Thompson; Richard Adloff (1958). French West Africa. Stanford University Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-8047-4256-6.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Klaas van Walraven (6 February 2013). The Yearning for Relief: A History of the Sawaba Movement in Niger. BRILL. pp. 76–77, 79, 84–87, 95, 206. ISBN 978-90-04-24575-4.
  6. ↑ Claude Fluchard (1995). Le PPN-RDA et la décolonisation du Niger, 1946-1960. Harmattan. p. 172. ISBN 978-2-7384-3100-4.
  7. ↑ Collectif. Politique Africaine n°38 : Le Niger, chroniques d'un Etat. KARTHALA Editions. p. 108. ISBN 978-2-8111-0133-6.
  8. ↑ Endre Sík (1974). The History of Black Africa 4. Akadémiai Kiadó. p. 242.
  9. ↑ jr Rosberg (Carl G.), James S. Coleman. Political Parties and National Integration in Tropical Africa. University of California Press. p. 192. GGKEY:BCEQQ8L1U82.