.As JAMB reschedules UTME for affected candidates in S’East, Lagos candidates
Following candidates’ abysmal performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), education stakehoders are calling for the resignation of Ishaq Oloyede, the registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board(JAMB.
Christian Okeke , a senior lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, demanded Oloyede’s resignation, noting that this is the standard practice in other nations.
Speaking on the apology made by Oloyede during a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Okeke said the registrar’s emotional apology was insufficient, insisting that only his resignation and the release of the actual results would bring justice to the affected candidates.
“How can the registrar’s tears resurrect the dead and accentuate the depression into which candidates have been plunged? It was almost like a national mourning,” he said.
The political science university don described the plan by JAMB to get the affected candidates to retake the examination in some centres as ‘insensitive to human emotions,’
criticising the board for initially denying any fault. He said that it only took sustained public pressure and threats of legal action for the board to admit its failings.
“The least that is acceptable from the Board is to release the true results of the candidates, provide psychological support and ensure that those responsible for the horrible outing take true responsibility—which must start with the exit of the Registrar,” he said.
Recall that JAMB recently admitted blame for the technical lapses that marred the 2025 UTME and rendered results invalid in several centres across the country.
Oloyede, during a press confertence amid a public outcry, apologised and announced that 379,997 candidates would retake the examination between May 16 and 18 across 65 venues in Lagos State and 92 centres in the Owerri Zone, which covers the five states in the South-East: Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu.
“I appeal to the candidates and those affected by the error of our system to accept this explanation as the truth of the matter without embellishment.
“Please, I apologise and take full responsibility, not just in words,” Oloyede said.
The registrar blamed the situation on the negligence of some JAMB staff and assured that corrective measures were being put in place to prevent a recurrence.
Meanwhile, JAMB has begun the rescheduling of the 379,997 affected candidates for another UTME, which commences on Thursday, May 15.
Oloyede admitted errors in the just-concluded exam affecting 206,610 in 65 centres were affected in Lagos and 92 centres in Owerri zone comprising of 173,387 candidates in the five states of the South East.
“The affected candidates will start getting text messages for reschedule starting from tomorrow.
“I apologise, I take full responsibility,” he said.
However, Jerry Abure, a polytechnic teacher, noted that nothing short of resignation should be accepted from the JAMB registrar. “If your children are enmeshed in this confusion, you would appreciate how much impact it has on the candidates.”
