Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former aide to General Sani Abacha, says he has no regrets working with the late military dictator.
Al-Mustapha who is the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the 2023 general election made the declaration on Friday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“I have no regret, once you join the military, you should be open-minded to work anywhere,” Major Al-Mustapha proclaimed.
He added that “you could be posted to the north-pole, you could be posted ton the south-pole and you can be in the worst part of the world or worst part of the country, it is experience.”
“I have had my personal destiny and my personal destiny took me to where I served, all I want is – wherever you send me to, I will serve and you will see the distinct difference and I will leave it there for younger generations to come, to learn there from and to enhance the professionalism and status of the service I belong to.”
While disclosing that he never canvassed to be posted anywhere, Major Al-Mustapha said the army saw in him something valuable and posted him to all the places he worked including in the office of the late head of state where he stressed that his life was laid down there and sacrifices were made for the nation, most of which are indelible in the annals of Nigerian history.
Al-Mustapha, however, emphasized that he would not want to focus solely on his work with Abacha, but would rather look at how he has given his life in service to the nation, and how he is still longing to render selfless service to the country, via politics.
According to him, it is the loyalty to Nigeria that has buoyed his spirit and inspires him to run again for the position of president come 2023.
“I decided this time around to answer to the calls of many Nigerian elders and younger ones from the North to the South and numerous associates with whom I have worked with, to accept the call and to contest.
“The passion we have for this country is much more in the sense that the challenges we face yesterday and the deep appreciation for where we are today, is for only those who truly care.
“It is that sense of awareness, that commitment driven by the energy of patriotism that brought us to the fore to face politics, ” Major Al-Mustapha explained.
While reaffirming that he is not in the presidential race for financial gains as some would infer, the Action Alliance’s flagbearer said numerous data show that Nigeria is a very bad place at the moment and as such, committed Nigerians are needed to reposition the nation.
“For the last seven years since I came out of prison, we have been undertaking researches in and out of Nigeria, and our findings are extremely disturbing.
“What every committed Nigerian should do right now is to understand the enormity of the problems facing Nigeria,” the AA presidential candidate opined.
Adding that “the new world order is changing and we are not changing, the world is running with the moon and we are not, people are flying with the wind and we are not; time has changed and we remain stagnant.”