A senior lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has called for the immediate resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, following the widespread failure recorded during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Dr. Christian Okeke, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, made the demand while reacting to the Registrar’s public apology over the conduct of this year’s examination. Okeke said that while Oloyede’s emotional response might appear sincere, it is not enough to fix the deep damage caused to hundreds of thousands of Nigerian students.
“How can the Registrar’s tears resurrect the dead and accentuate the depression into which candidates have been plunged? It was almost like a national mourning,” Okeke stated, describing the board’s decision to have candidates retake the exam as “insensitive to human emotions.”
He noted that the situation has caused serious distress to many families and urged the board to not only accept responsibility but also release the real results of the candidates affected. According to Okeke, it took massive public criticism and the threat of legal action before JAMB accepted there had been major technical failures.
JAMB has since admitted that there were issues during the 2025 UTME, particularly technical glitches that led to invalid results at several centres across the country. Prof. Oloyede, while addressing reporters on Tuesday, apologised and accepted full responsibility.
“I appeal to the candidates and those affected by the error of our system to accept this explanation as the truth of the matter without embellishment. Please, I apologise and take full responsibility—not just in words,” he said.
He further explained that 379,997 candidates will be retaking the exam between May 16 and 18. The affected centres span 65 venues in Lagos State and 92 in the Owerri Zone, which includes the five South-East states of Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu.
The Registrar blamed the incident on the carelessness of some JAMB staff and assured the public that strong corrective steps were underway to avoid similar issues in the future.
However, many education stakeholders, including Dr. Okeke, continue to demand more than apologies. Okeke noted that real accountability must begin with leadership taking full responsibility, starting with Prof. Oloyede stepping down from his position.
He also urged the board to provide mental health support for affected candidates and ensure transparency going forward.
“The least that is acceptable from the Board is to release the true results of the candidates, provide psychological support and ensure that those responsible for the horrible outing take true responsibility—which must start with the exit of the Registrar,” he said.
