Dahomeyan Unity Party

The Dahomeyan Unity Party (French: Parti Dahoméen de l'Unité, PDU) was a political party in the Republic of Dahomey.

Dahomeyan Unity Party Parti Dahoméen de l'Unité
Founded	13 November 1960
Dissolved	13 November 1963
Merger of	Republican Party of Dahomey Dahomeyan Democratic Rally National Liberation Movement
Succeeded by	Dahomeyan Democratic Party
Headquarters	Porto-Novo, Dahomey
Ideology	African nationalism African socialism[1] Republicanism Faction: Welfarism[2] Pro-Foreign investment[3][4][5] Pro-Private ownership[citation needed] Nationalism[6] Anti-Colonialism[7]
Politics of Benin Political parties Elections

History

The party was established on 13 November 1960^[8] by the merger of the Republican Party of Dahomey (PRD) led by Sourou-Migan Apithy, the Dahomeyan Democratic Rally (RDD) led by Hubert Maga and the National Liberation Movement (MLN) led by Jean Pliya and Albert Teveodjré.^[9] The PRD and the RDD had previously merged in 1958 to form the Dahomeyan Progressive Party, but had split the following year. Chabi Mama became the new party's secretary general.^[10]

Changes to the electoral system made by Maga allowed the PDU to win all 60 seats in the Dahomeyan parliamentary election, 1960. The following year, the main opposition party, the Dahomeyan Democratic Union, was banned and its leader Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin imprisoned.^[11] As a result, the PDU became the sole legal party in the country.^[12]

The party was dissolved on 13 November 1963^[13] by Christophe Soglo after Hubert Maga was overthrown in a coup, and a new party, the Dahomeyan Democratic Party was formed by Apithy and Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin.^[10]