Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has responded firmly to public criticism and calls for his resignation over issues surrounding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Registrar spoke at a meeting held in Abuja with stakeholders, including civil society representatives and chief external examiners. He made it clear that the demand for his resignation was baseless and largely pushed by individuals who he says do not understand the complexity of the examination process.
“Truck pushers cannot direct pilots,” Oloyede said, referring to those he believes lack the expertise to question his leadership.
The criticism came after various hiccups during this year’s UTME, with the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives among those calling for his resignation. Some accused the Board of incompetence and unfair practices, especially in how certain candidates were affected during the exam period.
Addressing the situation, Oloyede announced that JAMB will conduct a mop-up exam for candidates who missed the initial exam for valid reasons. According to him, around 5.6% of registered candidates will be eligible.
“We are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will be given another opportunity. It’s not extraordinary. In any academic setting, makeup exams are normal,” he explained.
He also rejected accusations of ethnic bias or political motives in JAMB’s administration. “People say, ‘Where is he from?’ That never mattered to me. I’ve worked with people based on their competence, not their ethnicity. The idea that this is a conspiracy is baseless,” he said.
Oloyede also addressed the tragic suicide of a 19-year-old candidate, Opesusi Timilehin, who reportedly ended her life over her exam score. He called for a moment of silence and shared that the news had a deep emotional impact on him.
“That tragedy broke all of us. Unfortunately, there were also false reports—some parents called me pretending their children had died, only to ask for money later,” he said.
He confessed that the incident made him consider resigning, but supporters encouraged him to remain in office to provide stability and guidance.
“When this happened, my first reaction was to resign. But people advised me that the students will never forgive you—it would appear as though you abandoned them in their moment of need,” he added.
Though the public expected the release of the rescheduled exam results, Oloyede did not provide a specific date. However, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that results would be made public soon through an official press release.
Oloyede ended the meeting by thanking all stakeholders for their patience and support, promising that JAMB would continue to operate with integrity and fairness.
“Let us not descend to the level of opportunists exploiting challenges for personal or political gain. We will fix what went wrong and continue to build an examination system Nigeria can be proud of,” he stated.
