The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, has urged former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s 2023 running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, to move on from Obi’s decision to select Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Agada made the call in a post on X while responding to what he described as Baba-Ahmed’s continued criticism of Obi following the formation of the NDC’s 2027 presidential ticket.

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Obi, who is now the NDC’s presidential candidate, selected former Kano State governor Kwankwaso as his running mate, bringing together two prominent figures in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 contest.

Agada argued that Baba-Ahmed should respect the decision rather than continue to challenge Obi publicly.

“Datti needs to move on. Obi has made his decision, and Datti should respect it,” Agada said.

The statement reflects the increasingly open disagreement between figures who were once central to the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign.

Obi and Baba-Ahmed contested the 2023 election on the Labour Party platform, finishing third behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Their campaign generated significant support among young Nigerians and became one of the defining political movements of the 2023 election.

The political relationship has since changed considerably, with Obi leaving the Labour Party and later joining the NDC as the party positioned itself for the 2027 presidential contest.

Baba-Ahmed, meanwhile, has continued to comment on developments involving Obi and the political direction taken by his former running mate.

Agada defended Obi’s decision to select Kwankwaso, describing the choice as both “idealistic and pragmatic”.

He accused Baba-Ahmed of moving from one platform to another to attack and undermine Obi since the announcement.

The NDC spokesman also used the exchange to promote the party’s broader political message ahead of 2027.

According to Agada, the NDC would improve the living standards of Nigerians if elected into government, contrasting the party’s proposed approach with the performance of the ruling APC.

“The NDC will raise the living standards of Nigerians far better than the APC is doing,” he said.

He subsequently appealed to Nigerians to support NDC candidates across the country in the 2027 elections.

The dispute comes as opposition forces continue to realign ahead of what is expected to be a closely watched presidential contest.

The Obi-Kwankwaso ticket brings together political constituencies with strong support bases in the South-East and northern Nigeria, while the NDC is seeking to build a broader national coalition around the two politicians.

For Baba-Ahmed, however, the latest comments from the NDC represent a direct challenge to his continued criticism of Obi’s political decisions.

Agada’s intervention also signals that the NDC intends to defend its presidential ticket vigorously as the 2027 campaign gathers momentum.

With the election still ahead, disagreements among former allies are likely to remain part of the broader opposition debate as political parties attempt to consolidate their support and persuade voters that their candidates offer the strongest alternative to the APC.

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For now, the NDC’s message to Baba-Ahmed is straightforward: Obi has made his choice, and the party wants the former running mate to accept it and turn his attention to the political battle ahead.