ABUJA, Nigeria — The South-East caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the resignation of Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), following what lawmakers have described as a “catastrophic institutional failure” in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, May 19, 2025, and signed by Hon. Igariwey Enwo, leader of the caucus, the legislators demanded the cancellation of the recently conducted UTME and the scheduling of a new nationwide examination between July and August.
The demand comes after JAMB acknowledged a significant technical malfunction that compromised the integrity of results for nearly 380,000 candidates.
During a press conference on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Professor Oloyede attributed the issue to server errors caused by a technical service provider, which disrupted data uploads from examination centres in Lagos and the South-East during the first three days of testing.
As a corrective measure, JAMB scheduled a retake of the exam for affected candidates between May 16 and May 19.
However, lawmakers from the South-East have rejected the move, saying the notice was too short and conflicted with ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WAEC), leading to low turnout and further distress for students.
“Traumatised students in the South-Eastern states, many of whom are still taking their WAEC examinations, have been invited with less than 48 hours’ notice to present themselves to retake the rescheduled UTME examination,” the statement read.
“The outcome has been heart-wrenching for students and parents, and agonisingly shambolic, to say the very least.”
The caucus noted that more than 78 percent of candidates nationwide scored below 200 out of a possible 400 marks, further fuelling public concern about the credibility of the examination process.
They argued that students in the South-East had been disproportionately affected and “denied of any equal and adequate educational opportunities.”
While commending Oloyede for admitting the board’s failure, the lawmakers said JAMB’s response lacked the depth and seriousness required to restore public trust.
“JAMB’s knee-jerk and fire-brigade approach has neither been sufficient nor desirable,” the statement added.
“Leadership must have consequences. We, therefore, call on the registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to do the needful by resigning his appointment.”
The caucus also called for the immediate suspension of all top JAMB officials responsible for digital operations and examination logistics.
The House of Representatives had earlier resolved to investigate the matter, following widespread backlash and nationwide protests by parents and candidates.
As of press time, neither Professor Oloyede nor JAMB had issued a formal response to the caucus’s resignation demand.
