Ex Presidential Candidate, Olu Falae Claims He Won 1999 Presidential Election, Says Obasanjo Was Imposed

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and 1999 presidential candidate, Chief Olu Falae, has claimed he was the true winner of the election that marked Nigeria’s return to civilian rule—not former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show during a special Democracy Day edition on Thursday, the elder statesman alleged that the results of the 1999 presidential election were manipulated to deny him victory.

According to Falae, a detailed legal review of the election results by his late counsel, Chief J.O.K. Ajayi, showed he defeated Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by more than one million votes.

“I was told by my lawyer, the late Chief JOK Ajayi, that I won the election by over a million votes after a meticulous assessment of the figures declared,” Falae said.

He explained that he chose not to challenge the outcome in court, prioritizing national stability over personal ambition. “We were more concerned about the country returning to democracy peacefully after years of military rule,” he added.

Falae’s remarks have reignited debate over the integrity of Nigeria’s 1999 transition to democracy following the death of General Sani Abacha and the interim leadership of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

The 1999 elections were widely seen as a compromise effort to ease national tensions—especially in the South-West—after the annulled June 12, 1993 election, which was believed to have been won by Moshood Kashimawo Abiola. Falae’s candidacy was jointly backed by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the All Peoples Party (APP), while Obasanjo, also a Yoruba man and former military Head of State, had the support of the military elite and political establishment under the PDP.

“There was so much pressure not to rock the boat,” Falae recalled. “We made sacrifices for democracy to return. I accepted it in good faith then, but the truth must be told: I won that election.”

“It’s not about me,” he emphasized. “It’s about the truth. Nigeria deserves to know the real story behind its so-called democratic rebirth.”

Falae also lamented the persistent credibility issues surrounding Nigeria’s electoral process. “Since 1993, Nigeria has not had a credible election. Democracy may have been sustained since 1999, but how elections are conducted remains a major concern,” he said.