Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and 1999 presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae, has stated that he, not Olusegun Obasanjo was the true winner of the election that ushered in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show during a special Democracy Day broadcast, Falae alleged that the official results of the 1999 election were manipulated to deny him victory. According to him, a legal review conducted by his late counsel, Chief J.O.K. Ajayi, concluded that he defeated Obasanjo by over one million votes.
“I was told by my lawyer, the late Chief J.O.K. Ajayi, that I won the election by over a million votes after a meticulous assessment of the figures declared,” Falae said. “But we decided not to go to court. We were more concerned about the country returning to democracy peacefully after years of military rule.”
His comments rekindle long-standing debates about the integrity of Nigeria’s transitional elections following the death of military ruler General Sani Abacha. Falae’s candidacy, backed by the Alliance for Democracy and the All Peoples Party, was seen as a strategic move to address South-West grievances after the annulment of MKO Abiola’s June 12, 1993 victory.
Obasanjo, also a Yoruba and a former military Head of State, emerged as the candidate of the dominant Peoples Democratic Party with strong support from military and political elites.
“There was so much pressure not to rock the boat,” Falae added. “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 emphasized that his claims are not driven by personal bitterness, but by a desire to set the historical record straight. “It’s not about me. It’s about the truth. Nigeria deserves to know the real story behind its so-called democratic rebirth.”
Falae also lamented that credible elections have remained elusive in Nigeria, noting that although democratic rule has been sustained since 1999, the electoral process continues to be flawed.
