Students of The Polytechnic Ibadan took to the streets on Tuesday, staging a protest at the Oyo State Government Secretariat to reject the recent renaming of their institution after former Governor Omololu Olunloyo.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the aggrieved students called on Governor Seyi Makinde to reverse the decision and preserve the school’s original identity. They argued that the institution’s name, which has stood for decades, represents a legacy that should not be altered.
The protest follows Governor Makinde’s announcement on Thursday, June 26, 2025, during the funeral service of the late Olunloyo at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan. The governor declared that the institution would henceforth be known as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of the former governor, who also served as the first principal of the polytechnic.
Makinde described Olunloyo, who passed away on April 6, 2025, as a distinguished scholar, technocrat, and cultural icon, whose impact deserved to be immortalised.
Despite the tribute, students maintain that while they respect the late statesman, renaming the school is a move they strongly oppose.
