Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and presidential candidate in the 1999 general election, has claimed he was the rightful winner of the election that marked Nigeria’s return to democratic rule, not Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking during a special Democracy Day interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Thursday, Falae alleged that the election results were manipulated in favour of Obasanjo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.
“According to my lawyer, the late Chief J.O.K. Ajayi, I won the election by over one million votes after a detailed review of the figures declared,” he said.
Despite this claim, Falae said he chose not to challenge the results in court. His decision, he explained, was driven by a desire to ensure a peaceful transition from military to civilian rule.
“We made sacrifices for democracy to return. I accepted it in good faith then, but the truth must be told: I won that election,” he added.
The 1999 election came after years of military rule and was widely regarded as a political compromise—particularly to calm tensions in the South-West, following the annulment of the 1993 election presumed to have been won by MKO Abiola.
Falae, backed by a coalition of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the All Peoples Party (APP), was seen as a candidate representing Yoruba interests. Obasanjo, a fellow Yoruba and former military Head of State, had strong backing from the military and political elite.
Falae’s comments have reopened old wounds from Nigeria’s delicate transition period. He expressed disappointment that credible elections have remained elusive since 1993.
“It’s not about me. It’s about the truth. Nigeria deserves to know the real story behind its so-called democratic rebirth,” he said.
