“But we decided not to go to court. We were more concerned about the country returning to democracy peacefully after years of military rule,” Falae said during the interview.
Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and 1999 presidential candidate, has alleged that he won the election that ushered Nigeria back into civilian rule, not Olusegun Obasanjo. Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Democracy Day, Falae claimed he was denied his rightful victory through election result manipulation.
“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 stated. “But we decided not to go to court. We were more concerned about the country returning to democracy peacefully after years of military rule.”
Falae’s comments revive long-standing grievances surrounding Nigeria’s 1999 transition, which followed the death of General Sani Abacha and the handover of power by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who led the democratic transition.