Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, has revealed that the Olubadan-designate, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, was a key player in the June 12 pro-democracy movement and the activities of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

Speaking on BCOS’s live programme Gbagede Oselu on Saturday, Akintola said Ladoja, a former Oyo State governor and member of the defunct Third Republic Senate, joined NADECO after the military junta dissolved the National Assembly.

He disclosed that Ladoja’s business empire suffered significant losses due to his role in the struggle, noting that his shipping line and West Africa’s largest palm plantation in Cross River State were severely affected.

“Senator Rashidi Ladoja played an active role in NADECO. We used his ships for NADECO’s activities after the dissolution of the Senate,” Akintola said.

“There are some details I cannot disclose publicly. His businesses were seriously affected by the struggle.”

He lamented that many patriots who risked their lives during the June 12 era have not been duly recognised, citing examples such as Ibadan-based human rights activist Comrade Mashood Erubami, who was frequently imprisoned, and the late Comrade Ola Oni, a renowned socialist and political thinker.

“People like Mashood Erubami went to prison several times during the NADECO days. These are individuals who paid the price for democracy, yet their contributions are often overlooked,” he added.