A Pain in Vain is Soji Obebe's latest foray into the political fortunes of the Federal Republic of Geriana. It is in furtherance of U-turn to Grief, a novel about the same country, released in 2003. Believing that he has God's backing, ex-governor Ralph Maywa of Bagua State in Geriana returned from exile in Ghana with fanfare. His return to politics as the presidential candidate of the New Broom party gives the party in power goose pimples because of his popularity based on his previous performance. He pursues the race with zeal himself, and his party takes so much pain to curtail abuse of the electoral process, but the party in power resorts to manipulations. The aftermath of the manipulations is the kernel of the story.