The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has demanded the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, following the alleged technical glitches that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
While acknowledging Prof. Oloyede’s public admission of the examination failure, the caucus emphasized that true accountability must extend beyond mere apologies.
According to the caucus, Oloyede’s resignation is necessary to pave the way for a thorough and independent review of the examination failure and to restore public confidence in JAMB’s integrity.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Leader of the Caucus, Hon. Igariwey Enwo, described JAMB’s response as “grossly inadequate,” citing numerous shortcomings including poor communication, scheduling conflicts with ongoing WAEC examinations, and the unreasonably short notice given for the rescheduled UTME.
These, they said, have inflicted “unnecessary trauma for students and families.”
Consequently, the caucus called for the immediate cancellation of the 2025 UTME and proposed that a new date be fixed—preferably after the conclusion of WAEC and NECO examinations—to ensure that no student is unfairly disadvantaged.
Furthermore, they demanded the suspension of key officials responsible for JAMB’s digital operations and logistics.
“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 caucus stated.
“As a caucus, we are deeply concerned, as all five South Eastern states we represent were directly affected by these so-called ‘score distortions.’”
Reiterating JAMB’s constitutional duty, the caucus reminded the agency of its obligation to ensure equal and adequate educational opportunities for all Nigerian children—an obligation they insist has been blatantly violated in this instance.
“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,” the statement read.
“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 caucus concluded with a strong reminder: “We must remind Nigerians that JAMB, as a government agency, is duty-bound to uphold the fundamental obligations of government to its citizens. The framers of our constitution recognised the central role of education in national development.
“Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution clearly states: ‘Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.’
“By recent judicial pronouncements, this provision now constitutes an enforceable right for every Nigerian child. 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.”
