[2] As Diori and Boubou Hama gained control over the PPN, Bakary proceeded to found a new party, Sawaba, the next year.
Bakary virulently opposed Charles de Gaulle's constitutional referendum during the congress of the African Regroupment Party in Cotonou.
As he denounced de Gaulle's "economic blackmail" towards the colonies and demanded immediate independence for Niger, he managed to rally a majority of the congress delegates behind his cause.
[3] This led figureheads including Jacques Foccart, Pierre Messmer and Houphouët-Boigny to decide that Bakary should be brought down.
The colonial administrator Louis Rollet (seen as too conciliatory) was replaced by Don Jean Colombani [fr], who organized a massive campaign in favor of the "yes" vote on the referendum.