The South East Caucus of the House of Representatives has called for the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, citing what it termed a “catastrophic institutional failure” in the administration of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement released on Monday, the caucus leader, Igariwey Enwo, strongly criticized JAMB over the technical failures that impacted nearly 380,000 candidates, many of whom are now being required to retake the examination.
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The caucus condemned JAMB’s handling of the situation as grossly inadequate, highlighting issues such as poor communication, clashes with the ongoing WAEC examinations, and the extremely short notice given for the rescheduled test.
They called for the immediate cancellation of the 2025 UTME and urged that a new date be set, preferably after the conclusion of WAEC and NECO exams, to prevent further disadvantage to students.
Additionally, the caucus demanded the suspension of senior officials responsible for JAMB’s digital infrastructure and logistics.
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The caucus noted:
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.
As a caucus, we are deeply concerned, as all five Southeastern states we represent were directly affected by these so-called ‘score distortions.
While we acknowledge Professor Oloyede’s openness in admitting JAMB’s failures, we must state unequivocally that the remedial steps taken so far fall drastically short of our constituents’ expectations.
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.
The lawmakers insisted that accountability must extend beyond mere apologies, stating, “his resignation would allow for a thorough, independent review of the failure and restore public confidence in the examination body.”
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