Come April 5, the full blown trial of Senate President Dr. Abubakar Olubukola Saraki would commence. It is one trial that has the trappings of an epic battle.

Tact, facts and politics have underlined the stage since September 11, 2015when Deputy Director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, M.S Hassan filed the 13-count corruption charges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

In the charge sheet, Saraki was accused of not declaring some assets he acquired while in office, and was said to have acquired assets beyond his official earnings, while also operating foreign accounts in contravention of the law as a public officer.

Saraki has grip on the opposition seemed to have failed as all the challenges to stop his trial have failed at all levels, including the Supreme Court where he had gone to challenge the jurisdiction of the Tribunal.

He had alleged procedural flaws in that the Code of Conduct Bureau failed to question him over alleged falsification of assets, which was a condition precedent on the charges. But CCT chairman, Umar Danladi said the trial would go on however despite the failure of the CCB to meet these conditions. Accroding to the judge, the conditions are not weighty enough to discharge Saraki or strike out the trial. The Senate President's camp contend that the criminal charges brought against him by the federal government are politically motivated and in bad faith.

Represented by a consortium of 80 lawyers, Saraki threw in the towel on Thursday and said that he was now fully ready for trial to prove his innocence. Saraki's supporters kept pointing accusing fingers at some All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts who they said masterminded his trial to edge him out of office as President of the Senate and chairman of the National Assembly.

But it remains to be seen how innocent the Senate President is on alleged false assets declaration in his forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau as a two-term governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011 which government lawyers said violated sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended. Saraki is also said to have breached Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

Saraki is not new to political controversies. He often waded through them like a maestro. He once had a face-off with is father who mentored him political and triumphed over the older Abubakar Saraki.

Since he emerged Senate president against the demagogues wish in his party last June, he has not rested. The former Kwara state governor has been causing rifts in the political family of the APC, like he did when he left the Peoples Democratic Party a couple of years back to form the new political behemoth.

Born on December 19, 1962, Saraki trained originally as a medical doctor at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1987 and practiced as a medical doctor at Rush Green Hospital in London. He is married to Toyin, who is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

After studies in England, Saraki returned to Nigeria to join Societe General Bank, formed by his father bank as an executive director. He veered into politics with his appointment by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo as special assistant on budget issues in 2000. He, along some egg heads in the Obasanjo presidency initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the Economic Policy Coordination Committee.

Saraki inherited his father's political machinery and was in 2003 elected governor of Kwara state. His political brinksmanship saw him emerged as Chairman of the influential Nigerian Governors Forum and received positive reviews of his job.