GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state has described yesterday’s ruling of the Election Petition tribunal in Edo state as extremely commendable, logical and sound.

Reacting to the ruling which upturned the April 14, 2007 governorship election result in favour of the former Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Fashola commended the nation’s judiciary, especially the Election Petition Tribunals sitting in various states of the federation.

Fashola congratulated the Judiciary "for being painstaking in what they were doing in supporting democracy".

He said, "Listening to the decisions today and the findings of facts made by the tribunal on the oral and documentary evidence as presented before them relating to the issues of electoral malpractices, ballot paper stuffing and all of that, the application of the law to those findings was, in my view, extremely commendable, logical and sound."

According to him, the ruling has reinforced his belief on the position he has already taken that elections are a process starting from registration of voters to actual voting, to election petitions, up to and including appeals from them, adding, "So the process is still on".

The Governor, who said he was saddened by the violent turn of events at the time of the election, expressed joy that the rule of law has eventually taken firm root, adding, "now our people will begin to see that violence does not solve anything, due process does, constitutionalism does, law and order does, and it is only when we have all these in place that all of the developmental challenges that we face as a people can really be overcome."

"I am happy for this event that there has been obedience and abiding faith in the rule of law and the judiciary has once more proven itself as a defender of our democracy" the Governor said.