CTN Editorial (Week 17): The Unholy Alliance of Chaos – From the Vatican to the Strait of Hormuz

There is a strange, uncomfortable rhythm to this week.

It is the sound of a world losing its filters. In the past seven days, Capital Times News has watched a sitting U.S. President call a Pope “terrible.” We have tracked a Pope—Pope Leo XIV—walk into the heart of Africa and condemn “despotic leadership” while a former president deletes an AI image of himself as a Christ-like figure. This is not news. This is the collapse of decorum.

And yet, here in Nigeria, the show must go on. While the world watches Trump feud with the Vatican and Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, our political class has been locked in a different kind of holy war: the battle for the soul of the ADC, the defection of Shekarau back to APC, and the quiet desperation of a people watching the naira dance at N1,356 per dollar.

Welcome to Week 17. The capital still doesn’t sleep. Neither do we.

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The Past Week in Review: The Headlines That Defined Us


1. The Pope, the President, and the Prophet of Mar-a-Lago

This week, the unthinkable became normal. Donald Trump looked into a camera and said he doesn’t like Pope Leo XIV. Then he deleted an AI-generated image of himself as a divine figure after backlash. Meanwhile, Pope Leo drew 100,000 faithful in Cameroon, called out corruption in Angola, and began a landmark Africa visit while Trump pulled millions from a Catholic charity for migrants. We covered the war of words, the diplomatic strain, and the very real question: What happens when the leader of the free world declares war on the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics?

2. ADC Convention: Chaos in Abuja, War in the Courts

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) held its national convention amid venue crises, police blockades, and internal explosions. We were there—cameras rolling, notebooks full. We reported the suspension of Abejide and Nafiu Bala, the expulsion drama, and the parallel factions. Then Tinubu called it “judicial rascality.” Then the MCE gave INEC chairman an ultimatum to step aside. This week, we ask: Is the ADC building a 2027 coalition or digging its own grave?

3. The Blood Tally: Borno, Benue, and the Unmourned

Nigeria bled again. Boko Haram ambushed and killed an Army Colonel and 21 soldiers in Borno. Gunmen in Benue kidnapped JAMB candidates traveling for UTME (later freed, thankfully). A doctor died after giving birth to triplets in Bayelsa. A young man beat his mother to death over N40m inheritance in Abuja. And the FG deradicalised 744 former terror suspects while HURIWA screamed betrayal. We did not look away. We will not look away.

4. The Economy: Naira Firms, Fuel Fears, and a Budget Signed

The naira firmed slightly to N1,356 per dollar at the official market—a rare breath of air. But airlines threatened shutdown over jet fuel prices until Keyamo brokered a truce. Tinubu signed the N68.32 trillion 2026 budget and extended 2025 capital implementation to June. The World Bank raised alarm over “hidden spending” draining revenue. And the FG banned cement imports alongside 16 other goods. This week, we are tracking: Is this protectionism or panic?

5. The Global Stage: Iran, Israel, and Oil’s Wild Ride

Oil prices crashed then spiked then crashed again. Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz during a fragile ceasefire, then warned it would close it again if the US blockade persists. Trump announced a 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire but kept missiles flying near nuclear facilities. Global oil markets lost $50 billion in 50 days. And through it all, the Rand weakened, the Rand weakened further, and Nigeria remembered that we still import fuel.

6. The Human Angle: Deaths, Defections, and Dirty Laundry

We lost a sports journalist Temisan Okomi. We lost former NFA president Ibrahim Galadima. A Nigerian TikToker died live on stream. A married couple in Nigeria discovered they are cousins after three children. DJ Cuppy says she wants a simple partner. Yul Edochie was dragged for marriage advice. And Lagos ordered banks and filling stations to open their toilets to the public—the most Nigerian headline of the week.

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The Week Ahead: Our Promise

This week, Capital Times News is going deeper into three critical stories:

1. The Shekarau Effect: His defection from PDP back to APC has shaken Kano. We are tracking the fallout and what it means for 2027.
2. The ADC Legal War: INEC didn’t monitor the convention. The courts will decide. We will be there.
3. The Hormuz Ceasefire: Is it real? Or just a breath before the storm? We are watching the tankers.

We will bring you the news as it breaks, with the context you need. No fluff. No spin. Just the truth.

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The hour of truth is not coming. It is here.

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