By Pascal Oparada
Social Media/Tech Reporter
Senator Elisha Abbo, who assaulted a lady at an adult toy shop in Abuja, has been disowned by promoters of the Not Too Young to Run movement.
Connected Development (CODE) founder and initiator of Follow the Money, Hamzat Lawal, who is also a proponent of the movement, told TheNiche in an interview that Abbo is not a beneficiary of the law which lowered the age bracket in which young Nigerians can run for public office in the country.
“That guy is 41 years old. Even if the bill was not made law, he will still be elected. He is the youngest senator but not a beneficiary but what he did is barbaric and I condemn it. I hope the law takes its course. Hope he is charged to court and made to bear the full brunt of the law,” Lawal said.
Lawal said Abbo should be made an example so that public officials know that nobody is above the law.
According to him, Abbo’s actions cannot be used to categorize Nigerian youths as being too rash and not ready to lead.
He said Abbo’s actions should be treated in isolation.
“When the present deputy senate president led thugs to snatch the mace from the national assembly, did you call me and ask if old people are not ready to lead. Let us look at it from a justifiable point of view. Abbo is just one young person and he is not a youth. Don’t call him a youth. He is young but not a youth,” Lawal said.
Abbo was arrested on Thursday and granted bail on Thursday. Human rights activists are asking he be charged to court.