Assault: Abbo Appears Before Senate’s Ethics C’tte, Clashes With Tinubu

There was a clash yesterday between Sen Elisha Cliff Abbo and some members of the ad hoc panel constituted to probe him over allegations of assault against a woman at a toy shop. ‎The committee headed by Sen Sam Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi) had invited Abbo to appear before it, which he did yesterday. However, Abbo (PDP, Adamawa), told members of the panel that he would not speak in the presence of journalists and others, insisting that he could only speak with his colleagues at a closed session. Besides, the Adamawa senator said the matter was before a court and that it would be subjudice for him to speak publicly about it.  However, members of the panel said Abbo should not dictate to them what they should do, a development that led to verbal exchanges between him and some members of the panel, including Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos). “Distinguished, you just joined us. We have a procedure. You don’t come in here and dictate to us what should be done. You don’t tell us what to do,” Tinubu said, adding that “we can also suspend you because of your attitude.” Abbo responded by saying: “I will not sit here and listen to you threaten me with suspension. I am a senator like you. You cannot threaten me with suspension.” The meeting later went into a closed session. But before then, the lawyer to the victim told the panel that the victim was still receiving medical attention at the hospital and that it could not be ascertained when she would be discharged.