Ibadan Poly students protest at governor’s office over institution’s renaming

Students of The Polytechnic Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, took to the streets on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, marching to the governor’s office to protest the renaming of the institution after the late Dr Omololu Olunloyo.

The protest, which began at about 6:00 a.m., led to the closing of the institution’s gates, thus paralysing academic and other activities.

It would be recalled that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde announced the polytechnic’s renaming during the burial rites of the late Olunloyo, a former governor of Oyo State and the institution’s first rector, last Thursday.

The development has since generated outcry from alumni and some indigenes of Ibadan.

The polytechnic’s Students Union President, Olamide Oladipupo, described the protest as peaceful, yet driven to secure the government’s change of mind.

Oladipupo said: “Now, sincerely, as bona fide students of The Polytechnic Ibadan, we are not here to fight, we are not here to revolt, we are not even here to protest.

“This is not a protest, sincerely. This is a way of channelling our grievances.

“Since that particular day that we heard about renaming our institution after Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo in the news, we have been dropping press releases and letters to express our displeasure.

“Personally, I came here to submit letters at the office of the governor.

Students, alumni reject renaming of The Polytechnic Ibadan

“What we want is for our school to remain our school. This is a heritage of over 50 years of different alumni all over the world.

“We don’t just want the heritage to get swept away. Sincerely, it is not about how easy it is to pronounce TPI. It is not the name; it is the heritage which is associated with the name of our school.

“This is the first polytechnic with the article ‘The’, but as it stands now, it would cease to be the only ‘The Polytechnic’ with the article ‘The’ if the name is changed,” Oladipupo said.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to reverse its decision.

Addressing the students, the deputy governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Lawal, thanked the students for bringing the matter to the right place.

Lawal said: “You have conducted yourselves in a very peaceful manner.

“We have heard what you are demanding, but the governor is not around. However, your agitations will be placed before him.”

The deputy governor urged the students to return to their campus while waiting for a response from the governor.

The Star