The Presidential Candidate of the Action Alliance, Hamza Al-Mustapha said he has never stolen money, not even N10 from the nation’s treasury.
Al-Mustapha made this assertion in an interview on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm aired on Tuesday.
He said, rather, he (Al-Mustapha) refused to compromise despite what he described as heat of pressure mounted on him by some persons.
He said, “I don’t have money, I have never stolen N10. I challenged two governments; I challenged Abdulsalam Abubakar’s government, and I challenged (Olusegun) Obasanjo’s government. They searched.
“I was ransacked by bigger international investigative agencies (and the) police. My eyes and thumbprint were taken all around the whole world and they saw nothing. But rather than tell the whole world my clean record, they kept it aside,” he added.
According to Al-Mustapha, the persons who falsely accused him of murder, an attempted coup, drug trafficking and money laundering allegations did a “disservice” but he (Al-Mustapha) has forgiven them.
He said, “I faced 14 judges in 15 years and that has been cleared and there is no iota of it.”
Al-Mustapha said his detractors wanted to take his life through legal and illegal means because they wanted to take over Abacha’s money after taking over power.
“Why did they want to kill me? It is simply because of what I know. I found myself in a situation where I refused to compromise Nigeria and that refusal has cost me,” the AA presidential candidate.
On his 2023 presidential ambition, he said, “I am not concerned; I’m a victim of perception or effect of propaganda overtime.
“I suffered from propaganda for a period of 15 years with torture trying to just give me a bad name, just for me not to survive.”
“In 2019, that was when we discovered that there were 18 attempts to kill me. As of 2013 when I came out, I was aware of 11 attempts,” he noted.
Al-Mustapha reminisced on his 15-year ordeal, saying it cost him psychological trauma but he has healed. “In 15 years, a serving military officer being treated like an animal every day, in chains, hands, legs and neck. I was in solitary detention for five years, and two months. My parents were only allowed to see me only twice in 15 years,” he recounted.
Speaking on his plans for Nigerians in 2023, Al-Mustapha said he is ready for service.
He said, “I have been part of the government for decades and I know these problems. We created numerous things for Nigeria and records speak,” he said.
“My background speaks for itself in terms of building this country,” he added.
Al-Mustapha was a Chief Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha who was Military Head of State between 1993 and 1998.