The South East Caucus of the House of Representatives has issued a scathing condemnation of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) following the fallout from the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing the examination process as a “horrifying failure” that demands urgent accountability.
The lawmakers expressed outrage over the recent disclosure by JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, that nearly 380,000 candidates out of 1.9 million who sat for the UTME would be required to retake the exam due to a technical glitch that compromised results at various centres.
In a statement signed by Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, leader of the South East Caucus, the group said every state in the South East was directly affected by the so-called “score distortions” and that JAMB’s response to the crisis has been “grossly inadequate.”
“JAMB’s kneejerk and fire brigade approach has been anything but sufficient,” the statement reads. “Traumatised students, many of whom are still writing WAEC exams, were given less than 48 hours’ notice to retake the UTME. The result has been chaos low turnout, clashing exam schedules, and emotional distress for students and families.”
The Caucus criticized the agency for what it described as a catastrophic institutional failure, adding that the incident has eroded public confidence in the examination process. While acknowledging Prof. Oloyede’s openness in admitting the glitch, the lawmakers insisted that true leadership demands more than apologies.
Citing Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the government to ensure equal and adequate educational opportunities, the group argued that thousands of students from the South East had been unjustly denied this right due to JAMB’s mishandling of the examination.
In light of these developments, the Caucus has called for a complete cancellation of the 2025 UTME and a new date to be fixed after WAEC and NECO examinations an approach also backed by the Association of Tutorial School Operators.
“We consider this a very brilliant and compelling advice,” the lawmakers said.
In a strong call for accountability, the group urged the suspension of officials responsible for JAMB’s digital operations and logistics, and further demanded the resignation of the Registrar himself.
“The Registrar is said to be a good man, but leadership must carry consequences,” the statement added. “We expect no less in any civilised democracy.”
This development is likely to intensify national discussions around the credibility of standardized testing in Nigeria and the digital infrastructure supporting it.
