Air Vice Marshal Shehu Adamu Fura (retd.), Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee, has officially resigned from the party and declared his allegiance to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Fura’s departure, confirmed in a resignation letter dated July 3, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Ward Chairman in Pantami Ward, Gombe Local Government Area, marks a significant loss for the PDP in the state.

His defection is seen as a major development, coming at a time when the party is striving to consolidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A respected figure in Gombe politics, Fura was a contender in the PDP’s 2023 governorship primaries, where he finished third.

His influence in the party, especially in grassroots mobilization and internal dispute resolution, was considered critical.

As head of the state’s Reconciliation Committee, he played a pivotal role in fostering unity among party factions following the 2023 elections.

In his resignation letter, Fura cited personal reflection and extensive consultations as reasons behind his decision to leave the PDP.

Senator Godswill Akpabio has expressed feelings of vindication following a court verdict that has upheld the current seating arrangement within the Nigerian Senate.

Akpabio says he feels vindicated by Friday’s court judgement which he said sustained the decision of the senate to reassign a new seat to suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

This outcome has been warmly received by Senator Akpabio, who has publicly stated his satisfaction with the court’s ruling.

The impact of this ruling will likely extend beyond the individual Senator, potentially influencing the dynamics of the Senate as a whole.

According to Akpabio, the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, gave the Order which vindicated him in the case filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to challenge her referral to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions as well as her subsequent suspension.

He said the court upheld his application that borders on contempt, and ruled that the publication was contemptuous, deliberately ridiculing both the Senate President , the judicial process, and deemed it necessary to impose a ₦5 million fine on Akpoti-Uduagan payable to the Federal Government.

Akpabio said it was on the strength of this that the court order Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish a public apology within seven days in two national newspapers and on the same Facebook page where the contemptuous publication was made.

On the substantive suit, Akpabio said the court also resolved all the questions for determination against Akpoti-Uduaghan when it ruled that the Senate has the constitutional authority to discipline its members for violating its Standing Orders; and that his action in reallocating Senator Natasha’s seat, was lawful and within his administrative powers under Section 6(1) of the Senate Standing Rules.

The senate President was however silent on the position of the court to reinstate the suspended senator , representing Kogi Central after the court pointed out that the punishment was too stringent as it it capable of denying the people of Kogi central representation in the senate.

The court’s decision reinforces the established protocols, and the Senate is expected to continue its proceedings as usual.

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the Senate to recall the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In March, Natasha was suspended by the Senate for six months for alleged gross misconduct, days after a face-off with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over a change of sitting arrangement in the chambers during plenary.

She consequently accused Akpabio of making sexual advances at her and later petitioned the United Nations over the issue.

In a ruling on Friday, Justice Binta Nyako described as “excessive”, the six-month suspension that was slammed on the lawmaker by the Senate.

The court faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching.

The court stressed that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.

According to the court, since lawmakers have a total of 181 days to sit in every legislative circle, suspending a lawmaker for roughly that same length of time effectively silences the voice of an entire constituency.

“While the Senate has the authority to discipline its members, such sanctions must not go so far as to deny constituents their right to representation,” Nyako ruled.