OYO State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, has said that the renaming of The Polytechnic Ibadan by the state government in honour of a former governor of the state, Victor Olunloyo, stands.
Oyelade stated this on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, amid a protest by students of the polytechnic on Tuesday against the decision of the state government.
“Don’t forget, this was the same gentleman who, at the age of 35 in 1970, was appointed as the first rector of this institution. So, we believe that the protestation is rather miscarried and misplaced.
“We stand by that decision because it is a worthy decision for a worthy son of your state,” he said.
The commissioner said that while the state government had respect for students of the academic institution, it would stick to its decision on the matter.
Oyelade also noted that the resistance from the students was due to a lack of knowledge of the contribution of the former governor to the development of the state.
“We respect our students a lot. We defer to them, and as the deputy governor said yesterday, we will do anything to bend over backwards to please them.
“But we will be fair, and we will be tough. This time around, we are sticking by our decision,” he added.
On June 26, 2025, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan, as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, to immortalise the late scholar.
Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer principal of the polytechnic and also served as governor of the state between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
Speaking at the state interdenominational funeral service held in honour of the late former governor at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan, Makinde said, “I talked about preserving and digitising his library yesterday as a mark of honour to Baba Olunloyo,” the governor said.
“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.”
But on Tuesday, students of the polytechnic staged a protest at the Oyo State Government Secretariat against the renaming of the institution after Olunloyo.
The displeased student carried placards with different inscriptions, asking Governor Makinde to rescind his decision and restore the polytechnic to its original name.
The students, led by the President of the Students Union Government (SUG) of The Ibadan Polytechnic, Olamide Oladipupo, appealed to the governor to preserve the polytechnic’s legacy embedded in the name it bears across the world.