"Soldier comes, soldiers go but barracks remain" is a cliché which is as old as the nation of Nigeria with its multifaceted political problems. Literary, soldiers will always join, leave the army whether dead or alive but the barracks will monumentally tarry. Subtly explained, no matter the caliber of various rulers that will thread the political corridor and landscape of Nigeria, the nation and people of Nigeria will outlive their mess.

While Nigerians might outlive the booboos and wickedness of the various rulers that walked through their labyrinth, Nigerians do it at a ransom. The ransom which the people of Nigeria have always paid to carry on as a result of the sins and callousness of every leader who has unjustly in one way or the other manned the affairs of the nation has escalated mountainously. It has become a big burden to be shouldered by the Nigerian masses who are already crippled. At the end of every regime, while Nigerians suffer the burden of the price they have to pay to continue existing as a nation through lack of good roads; shattered educational system, zero industrial development, ill-equipped hospitals, sick administration and poverty at all levels; the few in power or those leaving office would have the temerity to dance to foreign banks where their allies (local and foreign) help them to stack away the fortune of their nation in personal accounts.

If tomorrow comes in April 2007, the people of Nigeria will be heading to the polls for another election that would usher in a new regime. From the look of things many pundits and analyst are of the view that a political hurricane might blow in this densely populated African nation, making the peoples’ expectation dicey. Come April, May and October 2007 will Nigeria survive another change of baton?

This doubt was given birth to from the way Obasanjo the president of Nigeria handpicked Yar Adua as his next successor on the platform of his ruling party - PDP The other cause that generates heat is the unending rivalry between Obasanjo and Atiku , his VP who decided to cart his quest to become the president of Nigeria under his new political party – AC, just to have his pathway to Aso Rocks truncated by both EEFC and INEC despite court ruling in favor of Atiku. Other symptoms of the impending political tornado manifested through the operations of EEFC and INEC which gives the mouth a lot to chew. Nigerians are known to enjoy flamboyant campaigns and always look forward to the Election Day. However, the coming election lacks luster; keeps people in apprehension with an envisaged low voters turn out and massive catastrophe at various polling centers.

While Nigerians are faced with another humongous ransom to pay this year in order to carry on as democratic nation, it’s germane to encourage the populace to go ahead and pay this price. It is necessary for Nigerians to seriously reconsider their steps towards eradicating the malfeasance and defecations of their past leaders by charting a new paradigm. They can achieve this with their votes. If Nigerians vote properly and out of their conscience they would be going a long way to reducing the accumulation of ransom hanging on their neck. All and sundry should give this budding democracy time to mature and as it stands every true vote counts.