This victory not only marks a significant moment in the Shanxi Loongs' season but also sends a strong message to the rest of the league. By defeating the previously undefeated Beijing Ducks, the Loongs have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with and a serious contender for the championship title.Gold inches higher as traders await US inflation print
Over the years, Mr. Johnson's collection of hand-drawn posters grew to over a thousand, each one a testament to his dedication to his craft and his passion for teaching. These posters adorned the walls of his classroom, turning it into a gallery of engineering marvels that inspired and educated generations of students.Sun Yingsha, known for her exceptional skill and grace on the table tennis court, immediately captivated the attention of the young audience as she demonstrated various table tennis techniques and tricks. The students watched in awe as she effortlessly executed powerful smashes and precise serves, showcasing the level of dedication and expertise required to excel in the sport.
NoneIn conclusion, Marvel Edge has proven to be a thrilling and visually stunning addition to the Marvel gaming universe, capturing the essence of its beloved characters and delivering a compelling narrative experience. While the game has received a solid player rating of 7.5, there are areas where it could improve, particularly in terms of political correctness and character development. By addressing these concerns and continuing to push the boundaries of storytelling and representation, Marvel Edge has the potential to become a truly groundbreaking and unforgettable gaming experience for players of all backgrounds and interests.
AI is reshaping digital advertising, bringing with it both new obstacles and great opportunities. More than half of marketers in the region are concerned about how AI-driven ad fraud is harming ad quality, per DoubleVerify's 2024 APAC Report. This increasing concern highlights the need for cutting-edge solutions to address these dangers and safeguard campaign integrity. Speaking at DigiCon Revolution 2024, Tinee Cruz, senior sales director of DoubleVerify Philippines, emphasized the increasing sophistication of ad fraud, particularly in high-value media environments such as Connected TV (CTV) and mobile platforms. Fraudsters now use AI to craft schemes that are harder to detect and target advertisers' investments. Cruz stressed the importance of AI-powered solutions like Fraud AI and Classification AI to mitigate these threats effectively. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.As news of the win spread, the citizen quickly became the talk of the town. Congratulations poured in from friends, family, and well-wishers, all thrilled to see someone from their community strike it rich. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed gratitude and shock at their newfound fortune, emphasizing how unexpected and life-changing the win was for them.Title: Netizen Captures Suspected Case of Physical Punishment in Suspected Fraudulent Call Center Across RiverATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, whose post-presidential work as a humanitarian set a modern standard for the kind of legacy presidents can craft after their time in the White House, has died at 100 years old . Turning 100 on Oct. 1, 2024, President Carter reached a milestone as the longest-living U.S. president that no other person to hold the title has reached. He is the only president from Georgia. Carter went on hospice care in February 2023, and lived another 19 months at home in his cherished Plains, Georgia, a testament to his advocacy of hospice as comfortable and dignified end-of-life care. His passing follows over a year after the death of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, who died on Nov. 19, 2023, at 96 years old. The couple forged the longest presidential marriage in U.S. history, an iconic love story as well as an enduring political and philanthropic partnership. Carter was president from 1977-81, a one-term executive whose time in the White House was marked by an ambition for more peaceful relations with the world at a time of high Cold War tensions, but also economic stagnation and geopolitical challenges. His term's highs included a masterstroke in diplomacy with the ushering of a landmark Middle East peace deal, the Camp David Accords . However, rampant inflation and world events - the Iran Hostage Crisis chief among them, as well as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - hindered his standing as the nation's commander in chief. He was soundly defeated by Ronald Reagan in his 1980 re-election bid - but rather than marking the end of Carter's public life, it paved the way for the humanitarian contributions that would define him far more than anything he accomplished in office. He and Rosalynn established the Carter Center in Atlanta in 1982, an organization through which the former president would do much to, as he hoped for in his inaugural address, see that "the nations of the world might say that we had built a lasting peace, based not on weapons of war, but on international policies that reflect our own most precious values." The Carter Center's work over the years has touched on advancing human rights, forging peace talks in some of the world's most devastated conflict zones, promoting democracy and observing elections throughout the world, and disease prevention and eradication - including a decades-long campaign that has resulted in the near-elimination of Guinea worm . Carter's personal volunteerism and service to community were also noteworthy. He worked for decades with Habitat for Humanity, participating on a build as recently as 2019 even as he was recovering from a fall at his home that required 14 stitches and gave him a black eye. And he was famous for his Sunday school lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Crowning his post-presidential humanitarian legacy, in 2002 Carter was named the Nobel Peace Prize honoree. The Nobel committee highlighted his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” President Carter once said , "We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes - and we must." Early beginnings James Earl Carter, Jr. was born in rural Plains, Georgia on Oct. 1, 1924 to James Earl Carter, Sr. and Lillian Gordy Carter. Famously, the family business was peanut farming, and the Baptist Church was another mainstay of his upbringing. After growing up as a farmhand and promising student, Carter attended Georgia Southwestern and Georgia Tech before heading to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. In one of his life-defining moments, the previous summer he had been home from the academy and noticed his sister Ruth walking with a friend, Rosalynn Smith. He asked Rosalynn out - and quickly fell in love with her, with his first proposal famously refused by Rosalynn because she had promised her father, on his deathbed, she would finish college before getting married. But it did not deter their love story - roughly a year after that first date, they were wed on July 7, 1946. Married life, the military, and his road to politics The couple mainly spent their first married years in Norfolk, Virginia. Jimmy was in the Navy and assigned to the USS Wyoming. The day before Independence Day in 1947, they had their first son, John Williams, whom they named after Rosalynn’s grandfather. In 1950 while stationed in Hawaii, James Earl III was born and named after Jimmy and his father, James Earl Sr. Two years later, Donnell Jeffrey became their third boy. It would be 15 years before they had their only baby girl, Amy Lynn in 1967. In one 1952 episode that has taken on legendary status in recent years, then-Lt. Carter led a team in cleanup efforts at the world's first nuclear reactor meltdown in Canada. He left the Navy in 1953 upon the death of his father, returning to Plains to take up the reins of running the peanut farm. Back in Plains, Jimmy and Rosalynn operated the farm and a seed and supply store called Carter's Warehouse. He slowly built a profile as a community leader and, in 1962, embarked on his remarkable political life with a successful run for the Georgia Senate. After serving two terms, he ran unsuccessfully for governor - but came back in four years' time and became Georgia's 76th governor. Governor Carter & presidential campaign Carter was inaugurated on Jan. 12, 1971, and famously declared in his address, "The time for racial discrimination is over." It was an outspoken declaration that caught many observers by surprise. As a white legislator in an Old Confederacy state, he had been more muted on civil rights issues earlier in his political rise and at times positioned himself as a conservative Democrat. While there were signs of Carter's more sympathetic racial attitudes - such as his advocacy for educational reorganization as a state senator, considered a step toward desegregation - he also endorsed during the 1970 gubernatorial campaign "local control" over federal intervention, which biographer Jonathan Alter has described as a "code-word campaign." As governor, Carter pursued reforms of Georgia's education system as well as the state bureaucracy, extending to his own appointments - another signal in his turn toward promoting equality. "He appointed more women and minorities to his own staff, to major state policy boards and agencies, and to the judiciary than all of his predecessors combined," the New Georgia Encyclopedia states . He also advanced mental health as a priority - at the urging of Rosalynn, for whom the issue became a life-defining cause - in a way that was ahead of his time, in 1971 creating the Governor’s Commission to Improve Services for Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped Georgians on which the future first lady would serve. Jimmy Carter announced his presidential candidacy in December 1974 - more than a year away from the 1976 Democratic primary. Almost a complete unknown to the rest of the country, Carter was initially “dismissed as an absurdity by the elders of his party" the New York Times reported at the time. His campaign was aided first by the decision of former Vice President Hubert Humphrey to not seek the nomination, and then Carter rose past other, more well-known candidates such as California Gov. Jerry Brown and Alabama Gov. George Wallace thanks to dogged grassroots campaigning highlighted by the "Peanut Brigade" of nationwide volunteers, as well as a reputation as as the "rock & roll" candidate that helped him crack the national consciousness. Carter was also one of the first Democrats to court a coalition with Black voters in the wake of the 60s civil rights era. He forged an alliance with Martin Luther King Jr.'s family and capped the 1976 Democratic Party convention with a closing speech from Martin Luther King Sr., MLK's father, and sharing a moment with Coretta Scott King. "As I've said many times before, we can have an American President who does not govern with negativism and fear for the future, but with vigor and vision and aggressive leadership, a President who's not isolated from the people but who feels your pain and shares your dreams and takes his strength and his wisdom and his courage from you," he said upon accepting the Democratic nomination . "I see an America on the move again, united, a diverse and vital and tolerant nation, entering our third century with pride and confidence, an America that lives up to the majesty of our Constitution and the simple decency of our people. This is the America we want. This is the America that we will have." The White House On Nov. 2, 1976, Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th president of the United States, defeating incumbent Republican Gerald Ford - who had ascended to the presidency on Richard Nixon's resignation - with 297 electoral votes to Ford's 240. In office, the optimism of Carter's Democratic acceptance speech met the hard realities of international affairs and economic headwinds. The economy was in recession when he took office, and inflation was a deep thorn in his administration's side throughout his term. He targeted inflation early in his presidency, but it spiked - arguably, outside of his control - every year of his term, to more than 13% by 1980. The 1979 oil crisis - largely stemming from shortages after the Iranian Revolution and punctuated by images of gas stations with no gas and Americans waiting in long lines - underscored the economic frustrations that undermined Carter's re-election hopes. On Nov. 4, 1979, 66 American diplomats and citizens were also taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Iran, and Carter's inability to resolve the crisis - the failed rescue mission Operation Eagle Claw in April 1980 resulted in eight dead American servicemen - dealt a serious blow to his political standing. Additional challenges included the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in March of 1979, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan later that year in December. Capturing the difficult mood of the time, a 1979 address of Carter's would become somewhat infamously deemed the "malaise" speech , as he spoke of a national "crisis of confidence." Carter’s tenure as president was, however, also marked by a number of accomplishments. He created two new cabinet-level departments – the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He sought warmer relations in Latin America, and – while not without political controversy – achieved a diplomatic priority with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which gave Panama control of the Panama Canal. And the Camp David Accords – a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in large part negotiated personally by Carter - remains to this day one of the most significant achievements in the long, tumultuous Arab-Israeli peace process. Carter also made strides for Black enfranchisement, making good on many of his promises to the Kings who helped him rise to the presidency . Carter opened government contracts to Black-owned businesses and appointed record numbers of Black citizens to executive and judicial posts. He steered more public money to historically Black colleges and opposed tax breaks for discriminatory private schools. He also helped establish government observances of King's birthday and enabled the federal historic site in Atlanta encompassing King's birthplace, burial site and the family's Ebenezer Baptist Church. Perhaps counterintuitively, a large component of Carter's economic policy would appear conservative by today's politics. He deregulated several industries, such as trucking and airlines - for which he actually has been praised in recent years by some conservatives - and his plan to fight inflation announced in early 1980 called for a huge slate of federal spending cuts. Inflation would subside greatly in the years when he would have served a second term, but in the end, Carter’s popularity had diminished too greatly with the American people by the time of the 1980 election. He lost his bid for a second term in the White House to Republican Ronald Reagan in a landslide. The return to Georgia "As I return home to the South where I was born and raised, I am looking forward to the opportunity to reflect and further to assess - I hope with accuracy - the circumstances of our times," he said in his farewell address . "I intend to give our new president my support, and I intend to work as a citizen, as I have worked in this office as president, for the values this nation was founded to secure." He may not have realized it in that moment, but it would be that work as an ordinary citizen that secured his place in history more than any of the events in office that he faced - which he noted in the same address often are "controversial, broad in scope, and which do not arouse the natural support of a political majority." Carter, at 100, lived longer than any other former president . And his marriage to Rosalynn is the longest presidential marriage in U.S. history. He is survived by his three sons, daughter and two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Once, in an interview with USA Today, Carter revealed what he hoped his legacy would be. The quote is telling - touching on the universalist humanitarian themes that drove his political ambitions, but not forgetting the personal humility and devotion to community and family that endeared him to so many. “Human rights and peace are two things I would like to be remembered for," he said. "And of course, being a good grandfather." The Associated Press contributed to this story.
S&P 500: The Q1 Signals Are Alarming, Week Starting 9th December (Technical Analysis)‘Silyang Pinoy,’ wastewater treatment project of DOST-FPRDI bag awards from Seoul invention fair
In a shocking turn of events, a prominent English Premier League referee has been dismissed from his position after being found guilty of serious misconduct. The referee in question, whose name is being withheld for legal reasons, had long been considered one of the top officials in the league, with a reputation for fairness and professionalism on the field. However, recent revelations have brought to light a series of troubling incidents that have tarnished his once-impeccable record.
TULSA, Okla., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS) today issued financial guidance for 2025 and updated its five-year growth rates. "We enter 2025 focused on creating long-term value for our stakeholders, supporting growing customer demand, and enhancing the safety and reliability of our system," said Robert S. McAnnally, president and chief executive officer. "Our strategic plan supports a long runway of growth opportunities and investments in system reinforcements." 2025 FINANCIAL GUIDANCE ONE Gas (the "Company") expects 2025 net income to be in the range of $254 million to $261 million, with earnings per diluted share of $4.20 to $4.32. The midpoints of 2025 guidance are net income of $257 million and earnings per diluted share of $4.26. The Company's 2025 earnings guidance includes the benefit of new rates and customer growth, partially offset by higher operating expenses, including employee-related and contractor costs, depreciation expense from capital investments, and interest expense. Capital investments, including asset removal costs, are expected to be approximately $750 million in 2025, primarily targeted for system integrity and replacement projects. Capital investments for extensions to new customers are expected to be approximately $180 million, largely due to continued growth opportunities in Texas and Oklahoma. The anticipated average rate base for 2025 is $5.8 billion. The Company has outstanding forward sale agreements covering approximately 3.6 million shares of its common stock at an average price of approximately $77 per share. Had all forward shares been settled at the end of the third quarter, net proceeds would have been approximately $275 million. The Company expects to settle approximately $245 million of its outstanding equity under forward sale agreements at year-end 2024 and roll forward approximately $30 million to settlement in 2025. FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL GROWTH RATES For the five years ending 2029, capital investments, including asset removal costs, are expected to be in the range of $750 million to $850 million per year, or approximately $4.0 billion for the five-year period, including growth capital of approximately $1.0 billion. Capital expenditures support estimated average rate base growth of 7% to 9% per year through 2029. Annual net income and diluted earnings per share are expected to increase by an average of 7% to 9% and 4% to 6%, respectively, over the long term and the Company expects to be at the high end of these respective ranges through 2029. Operating costs over the five-year period are expected to increase an average of approximately 4% per year, down from the 5% average annual increase indicated in the 2024 guidance. The Company estimates total net long-term financing needs for the period 2025 through 2029 of approximately $1.5 billion, of which approximately 40% is expected to be equity. Consistent with last year's guidance, the Company expects to achieve an average annual dividend growth rate of 1% to 2% through 2029, subject to the board of directors' approval, with a target dividend payout ratio of 55% to 65% of net income. CONFERENCE CALL, WEBCAST AND INVESTOR PRESENTATION The ONE Gas executive management team will conduct a conference call on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (7 a.m. Central Standard Time). The call also will be carried live on the ONE Gas website. To participate in the telephone conference call, dial 833-470-1428, passcode 934495, or log on to www.onegas.com/investors and select Events and Presentations. If you are unable to participate in the conference call or the webcast, a replay will be available on the ONE Gas website, www.onegas.com , for 30 days. A recording will be available by phone for seven days. The playback call may be accessed at 866-813-9403, passcode 503269. Additional information can be found in the 2025 Financial Guidance investor presentation on the ONE Gas website at https://www.onegas.com/investors/financials-and-filings/guidance . Guidance estimates may be impacted by the variables in the forward-looking statements listed below. ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS) is a 100% regulated natural gas utility, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "OGS." ONE Gas is included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and is one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ONE Gas provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 2.3 million customers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Its divisions include Kansas Gas Service, the largest natural gas distributor in Kansas; Oklahoma Natural Gas, the largest in Oklahoma; and Texas Gas Service, the third largest in Texas, in terms of customers. For more information and the latest news about ONE Gas, visit onegas.com and follow its social channels: @ONEGas , Facebook , LinkedIn and YouTube . Some of the statements contained and incorporated in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. The forward-looking statements relate to our anticipated financial performance, liquidity, management's plans and objectives for our future operations, our business prospects, the outcome of regulatory and legal proceedings, market conditions and other matters. We make these forward-looking statements in reliance on the safe harbor protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following discussion is intended to identify important factors that could cause future outcomes to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include the items identified in the preceding paragraph, the information concerning possible or assumed future results of our operations and other statements contained or incorporated in this news release identified by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "should," "goal," "forecast," "guidance," "could," "may," "continue," "might," "potential," "scheduled," "likely," and other words and terms of similar meaning. One should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which are applicable only as of the date of this news release. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Those factors may affect our operations, costs, liquidity, markets, products, services and prices. In addition to any assumptions and other factors referred to specifically in connection with the forward-looking statements, factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statement include, among others, the following: These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Other factors could also have material adverse effects on our future results. These and other risks are described in greater detail in Part 1, Item 1A, Risk Factors, in our Annual Report. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or change in circumstances, expectations or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-gas-issues-2025-financial-guidance-302322972.html SOURCE ONE Gas, Inc.By Keem Abdul. 2027, the year in which the majority of Nigerians will once again go to the polls to elect a new set of leaders, may be three years away, but to the forward-looking political player on a mission, it is already yesterday As far as Lagos State is concerned, and the question of who succeeds the current Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the prize is no less than the leadership of Nigeria’s commercial and industrial hub, and control over the largest subnational economy in Africa. On the political front, too, the stakes are extremely high. On one hand, it is a battle for the soul of the ruling All Progressives’ Congress (APC) – the party which, in its various incarnations, has held power in the state since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999. On the other hand, the party is seeking to keep at bay the challenge of the two main opposition camps, namely, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and especially the Labour Party (LP) whose ‘insurgent’ campaign in the last election cycle, and the tremendous traction it gained among a segment of the electorate, gave the APC an almighty scare. While it may be premature to conclude that the victory of the APC in the 2027 polls is a foregone conclusion (because in politics, as they say, even a week is an eternity – let alone three years), it may be correct, however, to say that greater attention will be paid, in the run-up to 2027, to the contest within the ruling party (i.e., the battle over who emerges the APC’s gubernatorial flagbearer) than the battle between it and the opposition. While it may also be premature to predict the combination of factors and circumstances that will determine the emergence of said candidate (and next Governor), permutations have already begun, and some names are already being bandied about in the public domain. One of those names is that of Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo (Tokunbo) Abiru, who currently represents Lagos East Senatorial District in the upper legislative chambers. Whether or not the ready mention of his name at this stage of the coming race establishes him as the frontrunner, it is certainly an indication of the high regard and goodwill he commands in certain influential quarters within his party and constituency. A banker and financial titan-turned politician, Sen. Abiru is widely respected for his dedication to his constitutional role, and for his impactful interventions in his senatorial zone. Since his time as the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Abiru has distinguished himself in many ways. It was during his tenure, for example, that the state won international accolades for successfully floating an N80 billion bond. In the private sector where he operated before then, his expertise in financial management saw him rescue Skye Bank from the brink of collapse, transforming it into what is now Polaris Bank. At a point during the Tinubu presidential transition in 2023, Abiru was mentioned as a possible nominee for Finance Minister – before the position eventually went to Wale Edun. Abiru’s supporters believe his expertise in financial management and governance makes him the ideal candidate to lead Lagos into a new era of growth and prosperity. Another name also being thrown up is that of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. During his four-year tenure at the helm (from 2015 to 2019), Ambode had a love-hate relationship with the APC leadership, which ultimately led to the truncation of his re-election bid in 2019. But his time in office is fondly remembered for its proactive approach to the challenges confonting Lagos State, and especially his achievements in the area of infrastructure – notably the rejuvenation of the Oshodi transport hub to the construction of new bridges and inner-city roads in virtually all 57 LGs and LCDAs across the state. In recent months, Ambode’s political stock seems to be on a slow but steady rise, and his rehabilitation from the margins (where he had been consigned since his ousting from Government House, Alausa) back to the mainstream seems to be gathering pace by the day. The drumbeat of support for his return to office has been taken up by various groups who describe his previous tenure as transformative, hence their desire to see him “complete the good work he started.” And yet, in spite of the frequency with which these two names, Abiru and Ambode, are being mentioned in the public domain, and the airplay they’re getting as a result, the brewing contest for 2027 is by no means a two-horse race. The hovering presence of a figure who, as we speak, is just a heartbeat away from the Governorship seat – namely, the current Deputy-Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat – cannot be ignored. A former Governorship aspirant himself, he is the subject of speculations and incipient support rom those who do not have to think too hard to imagine him in the role, having seen him perform his duties creditably at the side of Governor Sanwo-Olu. Hamzat’s pedigree as the scion of a political dynasty (his late father, Oba Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat having once been a chieftain of the influential Justice Forum) is a factor that may count to his advantage. Other figures also being mentioned are the current Chief of Staff to the President and immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Speaker of the Lagos State of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. While Gbajabiamila’s potential candidacy hinges on his national profile and the network he has cultivated, Obasa (who holds the record of being the longest-serving Speaker in the state’s history) commands immense grassroots support within and well beyond his Agege constituency. Last, but certainly not the least, is the proverbial elephant in the room: a young newcomer who combines something of the background and attributes of each of the aforementioned potential aspirants – except for the fact that he has never held political office before now. He is no other than Seyi Tinubu, eldest son of the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu. He has of late been receiving endorsements from influential stakeholders, many of who have highlighted his outstanding achievements as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, asserting that his track record in business speaks volumes about his capacity to deliver in public office. Mr. Tinubu’s hypothetical campaign for the Government House, Ikeja is however, riddled with pros and cons. One major pro is that in a clime where loyalty to the Tinubu Brand is often a ticket to the political equivalent of Eldorado, only the most foolhardy chieftain or operative in the party would risk his/her political fortunes by daring to oppose the son of the President – especially if Asiwaju himself expresses even the slightest inclination towards having his son follow in his gubernatorial footsteps. However, similar to President Tinubu’s neutral stance towards his wife’s endeavour in pursuing her senatorial ambition, it is likely that he will not actively support his son’s ambitions unless the son establishes his own popularity base. The con, apart from Seyi’s relative lack of political experience vis-a-viz the other hopefuls, may come in the form of subtle, covert opposition (from both within and outside the party) to having the acclaimed Centre of Excellence (as Lagos State is often reffered to) become something of a Tinubu family fiefdom. In such a scenario, Seyi’s ambition may be dead in the water – barring a robust, direct intervention on his behalf. So, who will be the Lagos State Governor, come 2027? Although each aspirant’s ability to court critical stakeholders will be crucial to securing the top job, one suspects that the outcome will depend, to a great extent, on the preference of Mr. President – himself a former Lagos State Governor who continues to exert an enormous amount of influence in the affairs of the state. Apart from the President’s possible choice, other factors that might shape the 2007 contest include religion (after eight years of Sanwo-Olu, who is a Christian, there might be a consensus to have a Muslim at the helm – a scenario which benefits every of the aforementioned, except Ambode), as well as the possibility of zoning, and the influence of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, of the APC. As far as the citizens of Lagos State are concerned, though, the only consideration that matters, as far as 2007 is concerned, is the socio-economic progress of the state and who can best deliver it in an effective and timely manner. In that spirit, their wish can only be: May the best man win. • Keem Abdul, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos. He can be reached via +2348038795377 or Akeemabdul2023@gmail.comSaquon Barkley sets Eagles season rushing record and has Dickerson's NFL mark in his sights