Elisha Abbo wins award months after slapping woman on camera

Six months after he was caught on tape assaulting a woman, Senator Elisha Abbo (Adamawa North - PDP) has been honoured with a "Beacon of Hope" award.

The controversial senator received the award at the 4th edition of the Adamawa Celebrities and Achievers Awards (ACAA) which took place in Yola, Adamawa on Saturday, December 21, 2019.

The emergence of a video that captured Abbo assaulting a woman, Warmate Osimibibra, led to widespread outrage in July.

The incident happened in May 2019, just a month before Abbo was sworn in as a senator of the 9th Senate.

Many Nigerians called for the lawmaker to be suspended by the Senate, and prosecuted in court.

Senator Elisha Abbo (left) has resisted calls to resign from his position after a video emerged in July 2019 showing him assaulting a woman in a sex toy shop in Abuja. The incident happened in May 2019. [The Gazette Nigeria] Pulse Nigeria

Despite initial defiance, the lawmaker issued a very public, teary-eyed apology to his victim and asked her, and Nigerians, for forgiveness days after the video's emergence.

However, he pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal use of force and criminal assault when he was arraigned before a Chief Magistrates' Court in Abuja. His trial continues to drag in court.

The Senate also set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incident and report back in two weeks, but the probe has since stalled.

Abbo was similarly honoured with an "ICON at Democracy" award by the Intercommunity Awareness for Change and Development Initiative (IACDI) just weeks after the incident in July.

Other politicians awarded at ACAA include Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani for "Mirror of the Society", Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe for "Excellence in Recovery and Peace Building", Senator Abdulaziz Nyako for the "Most Outstanding Senator (2018/19)", Hon. Abdulrazak S. Namdas for the "Most Outstanding Rep Member 2019", and Hon. Zachariah D. Nyampa for "Politician of the Year".

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was also honoured as philanthropist of the decade.