The Senate Ad hoc committee which is investigating
the alleged misconduct of Senator Elisha Abbo has said that the victim
slapped by the lawmaker in a viral video did not honour its invitation.
The
Chairman of the panel, Senator Sam Egwu, who stated this at plenary on
Wednesday, said all efforts to make both the assaulted lady and the
shop owner appear before the committee did not succeed.
The
former Governor of Ebonyi State said the embattled Senator refused to
make submissions before the ad hoc panel because he said doing so would
be subjudice.
He also said both the Commissioner of Police in
charge of FCT and the lawyers to the victims also refused to make
submissions, citing the same reasons.
Egwu, therefore, requested
that the matter be stepped down pending the determination of the
criminal case instituted against Abbo by the police.
The
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who presided over the plenary,
disagreed with Egwu stressing that the panel could go ahead with its
work notwithstanding the court case.
Lawan said what the Senate
was investigating was the alleged misconduct of its member and not the
criminal case against him which is already being handled by the police.
Egwu, therefore, sought the permission of the leadership for appointment one-week extension to enable him to submit the report.
The Senate President granted the request.