Ever since he left office in 2011, Bukola Saraki has been dogged by EFCC investigation into his personal wealth and the records of his administration. Now he has been docked at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on charges of false and under declaration of assets. Nigerians are just beginning to see why Bukola Saraki has been in and out of all the courts in the land trying to stop his trial. All of them dismissed his suits and insisted that the trial must go on.

Saraki claims blue murder, he says he is being witch hunted as a result of his stout opposition to the Muslim/Muslim ticket that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had initially toyed with. Another time he says he is being persecuted for winning the Senate Presidency against the wishes of some people in his party.

Analysts also recall his bitter struggle with his father over who should become governor of Kwara State in 2011. His father's wish was that Gbemisola Rukayya Saraki should succeed him as governor but Bukola would have none of it. The junior Saraki's disdainful rejection of sister Gbemi as his successor and his insistence on AbdulFatah Ahmed sickened and humiliated his father.

In the last two weeks, the Nigerian Senate has offended the sensibilities of the citizens of this country. Their desperate and unbridled attempt to change the Code of Conduct Bureau/Code of Conduct Tribunal law so as to scuttle Saraki's trial; their ill-advised summons of CCT chairman, Danladi Umar, to appear before them; their purchase of Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs at twice the normal price as well as their refusal to reveal their budget as promised, are all pointers that they are working for themselves not their constituencies. Their following of Saraki to the tribunal to face his trial, far from being seen as an act of solidarity with their President, is viewed by Nigerians as an endorsement of corruption.

Some people think the APC should intervene; others say after he spurned the party, Saraki should not expect its sympathy. Having realised that he is on his own, Saraki is desperately fighting back. Yet in all his protestations, he has never addressed the contradictions said to be contained in his assets declaration form. In the event, CCT chairman, Danladi Umar's accelerated trial hastens the determination of Saraki's fate.

The trial has become a test case of Buhari's resolve to fight corruption and people are waiting to see whether the President can also take on his party men and women in that regard. Every trick Saraki has tried to block his trial has failed and there is every possibility that he is going to be found guilty. If that happens, CCT Tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, is expected to impose maximum punishment on Saraki and this means he vacates Senate Presidency, a 10-year ban on holding of public office and seizure of assets, among others.

The report by Sunday Trust of 24th April, 2016, that five Senators, all of them ex-governors - Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso; Ahmed Sani Yerima; Aliyu Magatakardan Wamakko; Abdullahi Adamu and Danjuma Goje - are trying to broker "peace" between Saraki and his adversaries may well be true. However, the irreducible minimum acceptable is Saraki's withdrawal from the seat of Senate President. If he does this, it is possible to get the Attorney General to withdraw the charges so Saraki could be released to go home and watch things from the side lines. Still, if he goes through the case and is found guilty, it is possible President Buhari exercises his prerogative of mercy and mitigates Saraki's punishment.

Notwithstanding his claim that he is being persecuted, many Nigerians believe that if the records of his declaration of assets with the CCB are what the prosecution describe them to be, then Saraki has himself to blame. So far, Saraki's conduct as revealed by the prosecution witness has embarrassed the Senate, his party and all those who expect our public officials to live above board. The Senate is stymied in the false belief that they can do something on the floor to extricate Saraki. They have abandoned legislative duties and are pretending that Saraki's fall is tantamount to the humiliation of the entire chamber.

This is not the best of time for Saraki or the Senators. Even the outspoken APC Senator Shehu Sani is not commenting on the Saraki saga. It is left to the likes of Senator Nwaobashi of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to continue to threaten that if Saraki is removed, their party will seize the opportunity to install a member of their party as Senate President, but it doesn't really matter, does it? Still, if PDP installs someone whose hand is not clean, he will face the same troubles as Saraki. The crux of the matter is that President Buhari is willing to work with any patriot, irrespective of political party, to improve the wellbeing of Nigerians.

Instead of the Senate to reach out to President Buhari to resolve the aspects of the budget he objects to, the Senators are digging in the more. Right now, the budget matter is what is bothering Nigerians, not the fate of Saraki. Saraki is the architect of his misfortune and the recent revelation from the Panama Papers appear to establish a pattern. Evan (s) Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo and Adolphus Wabara were all there before they dismounted. Saraki is bound to fall from the top because from all indications, he doesn't have the moral rectitude to lead a change Senate expected to work for the people