Of Today's Politicians Behaving Badly; Like Children Lacking Proper Upbringing

When can adults be labelled as behaving like children? When such adults exhibit lack of ability to, inside and outside their homes, act in such ways that model emotional well-being, supports healthy as well as rational sense of self, cope with stressful situations, manage emotional arousal, overcome disappointments and frustrations. When such adults lack basic social competence to be able to develop and maintain positive mental state to get on, get by with equals, subordinates or elders in group, organisations or associations as well as ability to get along with and respect others no matter whether they are or not in agreement. Such basic learnt skills would carry with them, proper use of civic language, empathy, cooperation, etc.

Generally speaking, the above is same as such process expected children go through, mixing socio-cultural, environmental and parental orientation to help horn their developmental  competence as it relates to motivation, attitude, cognition, etc so that the transmission from childhood to adulthood becomes seasmless. But then again, there are these others who may not have had proper parentage and, not have lived in social environment that may have been helpful for such learning purposes. So, to get by and get along with others, they’d learn as they grow or choose to harass, malign, hector, and do whatever they see fit to climb and maintain their place among others.

It is understandable where and when we see children from toddlers to youth behaving irrational, illogical and/or like spoilt brat; misbehaving and using antics to get their way, would not be reasonable to listen to others’ opinion, be mean, would not take to or learn from being ticked off, etc. So, the only ways of controlling them are by strict rules, corporal punishment, and other stringent measures to keep them in line. It is therefore disappointing and appalling seeing such same misbehavious exhibited by adults, particularly, politicians; elected or selected to hold offices; propose, support and create laws or policies as well as, in cooperation with others, govern.

Tick the boxes; politicians behaving badly exhibits and share thesame disfunctional characteristics; like children lacking proper upbringing; They lack the class and decorum expected of adults: they throw tantrum at the disagreements or provocations, are fixated on domination, tell half truth, mostly lies, lack imagination, fight the press to escape scrutiny; they engage in abuses, finger pointing, engage in near physical to physical fights. All, unfortunately, neither unique to any particular continent nor do these misbehavious take place only in the small enclaves of town halls or community political meeting but played out infront of cameras and, to national and internaltional audiences.

Most politicians today, no matter the divide, ideology or aisle, are the same. They are after self gratification, motivated by power, greed, and narrow mindedness. They are quick to display animosity towards opposition, are disrespectful and mean to each other; not because of their ideological divide but simply to win and lord it over one another. The resentment or sometimes hatred has sipped into how now, the electorates treat each other, choosing camps and in times of elections, see each other as rivals and enemies.

It is shameful to see such loss of civility among our politicians today; the lack of courtesy, politeness, decency, etc. It is dishonouring and exasperating because our children are watching these politicians meant to be exemplary mentors. Disheartening because rather than them being the source of these children learning respect and dignity, what they see are bad mannerisms, impoliteness, lying, rudeness, etc.

Such appaling behavious also seemed to be mostly preserved exhibition by men. The likes of female leaders as Tsai Ing-wen, Angela Merkel, Jacinda Ardern, etc are among today's most competent, accomplish, cool headed and compassionate heads of states. They are not seen in turbulence engagement, back-and-forth finger-pointing or argumentative with the press as would Donald Trump, dismissive and attempting to shackle dissenting voices, particularly, social media and main stream press, like Muhammadu Buhari, or failing to listen to or recognize opposing legitimate positions, ideas and policies from either their fellow heads of states, their aides, etc like Vladimir Putin.

Further on comparison between children and adulthood: Children, expectedly, often are self centered. Prizing their own needs and interests above those of others. By the time they get older however, it is expected that such perception of self indulgence, rascality instead of kindness, competing rather than getting along with others, intolerance, etc as envisioned, ought to have been waned, changed and competences gained. But, where or when such transitions are not made, it becomes obvious to conclude, that such adults are still locked in their childish characteristics and incompetency.

Take the ongoing imbroglio within the All Progressive Congress (APC), the present Nigeria ruling party for example: To what ideal is crisscrossing party simply to contest election be aduced? What role and place is the constitution if it can be discarded at whims and with impunity? How does a deputy secretary climb to assum the chairmanship of a party where there are proceedural ascension protocol? What good intention is it to use courts to stop a party you call yours from participating in elections simply because you would not be the one gaining from the outcome? Where are the party leadership? What make them leaders; wealth, experience, age? To say it as it is, some so called "leaders" whether in APC, PDP or any of the others, no matter their ages, wealth or experience, have remained like children. But whose fault is it that we have such checkered history of politicking? Was the foundation and legacy handed over by the foretfathers, faulty?

To all intents and purpose, the founding fathers of the patched or pasted territories today making up Nigeria, had good intentions when they asked the British government for the country’s independence. Their concerns were of practical intention to have a people in one territory existing under a government with the loftiest of ideals and ethics of one nation held together by mutual respect and tolerance. They had good intentions whether it was regionally inclined or not. They expected a centre where they all would debate, disagree to agree to such extent that allows for flexibility that then can see such centre grow and mature as would their regions with time. I think they made one fundamental mistake though; they did not factor in the fact that, the imperialist umpire wanted to set up a system of governance where they can continued to engineer, dominate and, manipulate the Nigeria territory.

That said however, that was the lots of the founding fathers missing the point and letting themselves be led into systemic quandary that brought about the rancour and bad blood that truncated the country's democracy. However or whatever the faulty foundation of our democracy, it does not excuse how today’s politicians are misbehaving. Acting like spoilt brats, not just like excusable inexperienced youths but as bad as ill-tempered toddlers; bullying to have their way, not admitting to mistakes, petulant when reprimanded, ostracising, those they don't agree with and banishment of anyone not of their liking as well as imposition of those they see as subservients, to positions where election ought to have been the rule. Political positioning world over, particularly, that of the heads of states, need grown ups or the world is heading for far much worsened troubled waters than we previously had been through.