A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), SKC Ogbonnia, has declared that the report of foreign opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term ambition was true.

In a statement on Wednesday, he said the rebuttal from the presidency, through Femi Adesina, was self-serving and too far from the truth.

Ogbonnia said: “The simple truth is that neither the world nor democracy, in and of itself, promotes bad governance—whether in democratic, pseudo-democratic or autocratic governments.

“So, the international community does indeed interfere in “the democratic affairs of a sovereign country”, where necessary.

“As a leading figure in selling Buhari’s candidacy to the international community in 2014 through 2015, I know firsthand the role of such democratic nations during the campaign and in the events leading to President Goodluck Jonathan’s historic concession.

“Further, my campaign has been crisscrossing the globe in the past weeks, consulting with fellow Nigerians, as well as influential leaders within our major allies, including Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Russia, China, Canada, etc. I can state unequivocally that the emerging consensus among these nations is that President Buhari’s second term ambition lacks in cogency.

“They point to Buhari’s failing health, lack of clear vision, lack of intellectual capacity, an apparent pattern of torpor, nepotism, wanton killings, disregard to rule of law, and a growing sense of disunity and uncertainty in the land, among many failings.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should consider our great party and country before self. The worst omen that can meet Nigeria at this stage of national development is any opening that allows the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to wangle itself back to power. Buhari’s candidacy is squarely that opening, period.

“Therefore, it is incumbent upon more patriots, including Buhari’s henchmen, to join to appeal to the president to permanently suspend his campaign, emulate Mandela, and retire with dignity.

“The future of the ruling APC and Nigeria belongs to a younger generation of leaders who possess the vim and the competencies to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.”