Academic activities at The Polytechnic, Ibadan were brought to a halt as students protested the recent renaming of the institution after former Oyo State Governor, Omololu Olunloyo.
The students, in large numbers, gathered at the school’s main gate before marching to the entrance of the Oyo State Secretariat, chanting slogans and voicing their displeasure over Governor Seyi Makinde’s decision to rename the institution after his predecessor.
The demonstrators carried placards with various inscriptions, calling on Makinde to reverse the decision and restore the polytechnic’s original name.
The aggrieved students urged the governor to protect the integrity of the school’s name, which they said has stood for decades as a symbol of academic excellence, cultural identity, and pride for generations of students and alumni.
According to reports gathered by our correspondents, hundreds of commuters along the busy Sango–Eleyele Road in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were left stranded as the protest disrupted vehicular movement and daily business activities.
The renaming was officially announced by the state’s governor six days ago during the funeral service of Omololu Olunloyo, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer principal of the polytechnic and briefly served as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan. That institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan,” Governor Makinde announced during the ceremony.
Makinde described the late statesman as a scholar, a technocrat, a lover of culture, and a man of deep conviction, adding that his life and accomplishments could not be captured in a single sentence.
As of press time, no official response had been issued by the state government regarding the students’ demands.
