Students protest Makinde’s renaming of Ibadan Poly after Olunloyo

JOSEPH OKWUOFU,  Ibadan

 

There was panic and confusion as hundreds of students of the Polytechnic Ibadan took to the streets, protesting against Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent decision to rename the institution after the first principal of the institution and former state governor, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo.

 

Many commuters, including staff of the institution, market men and women plying the ever-busy Sango-Eleyele Road in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were left stranded.

 

Also, many motorists were stuck in the traffic gridlock, forcing them to make emergency U-turns, while others decided to drop their passengers mid-way to avoid being caught up in the traffic web.

 

It was learnt that the students embarked upon the protest as a result of the recent announcement made by Governor Makinde to rename the institution.

 

Makinde’s decision to change the name of the Polytechnic Ibadan also received some backlashes from the Old Students Association and other stakeholders in the state, and the students, who were said to have started spilling into the streets of the state capital from the early hours of Tuesday.

 

The aggrieved students also blocked the entrance gates of the institution, as well as the busy Sango -Eleyele Road, leaving many commuters, residents and travellers plying the road stranded, while many staff of the institution were also barred from entry at the gate.

 

The protest is coming just a week after the governor, on Thursday, June 26, 2025, renamed the institution, one of the oldest polytechnics in Nigeria, after Dr. Olunloyo, who died recently.

 

The Governor announced the renaming of the institution during Olunloyo’s funeral service held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.

 

Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer principal of the polytechnic before serving as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983, during the troubled days of the second republic.

 

Olunloyo was also reputed as the first Ibadan person to serve as  governor of old Oyo State.

 

It was gathered that some staff of the institution were booed by students as they made frantic effort to gain access into the institution.

 

Major traffic disruptions hit other parts of the city as the pandemonium spread.

 

Chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards with inscriptions such as “Revert the Name Now,” “We Are Not Consulted,” and “Our Identity, Our Pride,” the students demanded an immediate reversal of the renaming, citing lack of consultation and disregard for the institution’s long-standing identity.

 

“We are not against honouring leaders, but not at the expense of our institution’s legacy,” a student protester said.

 

Security personnel were deployed to the scene to manage the situation and prevent any outbreak of violence.

 

As of the time of filing this report, the school management and the government had not made any formal response to the protest.