…Wants 2025 UTME cancelled, digital operations staff suspended
The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has demanded the resignation of Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), over what it described as a “catastrophic institutional failure” in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement on Monday, the caucus, led by Igariwey Enwo, criticised JAMB for the technical glitches that affected nearly 380,000 candidates, many of whom are now required to resit the exam. The lawmakers said all five South-Eastern states were significantly impacted.
According to them, the Board’s response has been grossly inadequate, citing poor communication, scheduling conflicts with ongoing WAEC examinations, and the short notice given for the resit. They argued that the situation has caused unnecessary trauma for students and families.
“As a caucus, we are deeply concerned, as all five South-Eastern states we represent were directly affected by these so-called ‘score distortions. Over the past week, we have exercised restraint, hoping that JAMB would provide effective remedial measures to address what is clearly a catastrophic institutional failure—one that has severely shaken public trust and the confidence of students and their families nationwide,” the statement read.
The caucus called for the immediate cancellation of the 2025 UTME and the fixing of a new date, preferably after WAEC and NECO exams, to ensure no student is disadvantaged. They also demanded the suspension of key officials responsible for JAMB’s digital operations and logistics.
While acknowledging Oloyede’s public admission of the failure, the Lawmakers maintained that accountability must go beyond apologies. They said his resignation would allow for a thorough, independent review of the failure and restore public confidence in the examination body.
They reminded JAMB of its constitutional duty to guarantee equal and adequate educational opportunities for all Nigerian children, a responsibility they said had been violated in this instance.
“JAMB’s knee-jerk, fire-brigade approach has been anything but adequate. Students in the South East—many of whom are currently writing their WAEC examinations—were given less than 48 hours’ notice to appear for the rescheduled UTME. Reports indicate that this notice was grossly inadequate, resulting in low turnout. In some cases, the rescheduled UTME clashed directly with ongoing WAEC papers, compounding the distress and confusion for students and their families.
“We must remind Nigerians that JAMB, as a government agency, is duty-bound to uphold the fundamental obligations of government to its citizens. Sadly, for the thousands of students across the South East, the flawed and tainted conduct of the 2025 UTME has effectively denied them that right to equal and adequate educational opportunities”, the statement further read.
