Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and presidential candidate in the 1999 elections has declared that he won the poll but chose not to challenge the outcome in court for the sake of Nigeria’s stability.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show during the Democracy Day broadcast on Thursday, Falae, a former finance minister, said a legal assessment by his counsel, the late Chief J.O.K. Ajayi, showed he defeated Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by over a 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.
He said despite the evidence, his camp decided against going to court, choosing instead to prioritise the country’s transition to democracy after years of military rule.
His words: “We were more concerned about the country returning to democracy peacefully.
“There was so much pressure not to rock the boat. We made sacrifices for democracy to return.”
Falae said the decision not to contest the result was not because he accepted the outcome, but because he put the nation first.
He said: “I accepted it in good faith then, but the truth must be told: I won that election.
“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 criticised Nigeria’s electoral process, saying that aside from the annulled June 12, 1993 election, the country has not conducted any credible election since then.
He said while democratic structures have been maintained since 1999, the integrity of elections remains a pressing concern.