Former presidential candidate and ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, has claimed he was the real winner of Nigeria’s 1999 presidential election, not Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show during the Democracy Day celebrations, Falae said the election was manipulated in favour of Obasanjo, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“My lawyer, the late Chief J.O.K. Ajayi, carefully went through the election results and told me I won by over one million votes,” Falae said.
Falae explained that despite the evidence, he and his team decided not to go to court because they wanted the country to return to democracy peacefully after many years of military rule.
“We didn’t want to rock the boat. It was more important that Nigeria moved forward. But now, the truth must be told—I won that election,” he said.
The 1999 election marked Nigeria’s return to civilian rule after the death of General Sani Abacha and the interim leadership of General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Many saw the election as a way to calm tensions, especially in the South-West, after the annulled June 12, 1993, election, believed to have been won by MKO Abiola.
Falae, who was backed by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the All Peoples Party (APP), was seen as a unifying figure for the Yoruba. Obasanjo, also a Yoruba and a former military leader, had strong support from powerful interests and the military.
“There was so much pressure not to cause trouble,” Falae said. “We made sacrifices to bring back democracy. I accepted it in good faith then, but it’s important Nigerians know what happened.”
Falae also criticised the state of Nigeria’s democracy, saying that since 1993, the country has struggled to hold free and fair elections.
“Even though we’ve been voting since 1999, elections are still far from credible. This is not just about me—it’s about the truth and the future of our democracy,” he added.
Falae’s comments have sparked renewed debate over the fairness of the 1999 elections and the legacy of Nigeria’s return to civilian rule.
