JAMB Controversy: South-East Lawmakers Demand Resignation, Fresh UTME for 2025

Frustration, Uncertainty, and a Call for Justice

The tension is palpable. Across classrooms and homes in Nigeria, students who had worked tirelessly for months to prepare for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) now find themselves caught in a whirlwind of confusion and despair.

For nearly 380,000 candidates, their results were a disaster, not due to their ability but because of technical failures within JAMB’s system. The backlash has been swift and intense, and now, the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives is demanding answers—and consequences.

A Broken System?

For weeks, social media has been flooded with complaints from candidates and parents alike. From the distorted scores to JAMB’s last-minute rescheduling, many students feel cheated out of the fair opportunity they deserve.

“I studied day and night for this exam,” says Chuka, a frustrated candidate from Anambra. “How do they expect us to retake UTME in just a few days? Some of us are still writing WAEC!”

His concern isn’t unfounded. The rescheduled UTME clashes with ongoing WAEC exams, leaving students in a state of panic, unsure of how to balance both critical tests.

Lawmakers Demand Action

Seeing the frustration in their constituencies, South-East lawmakers have stepped in, demanding the resignation of JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, over what they term “catastrophic institutional failure.”

“JAMB is expected to uphold fairness in education, but this exam has stripped students of their rights,” Rep. Igariwey Iduma Enwo stated. “We demand a total cancellation of the 2025 UTME and a fresh examination date for all affected candidates.”

Public Outrage and the Fight for Reform

From parents protesting outside JAMB offices to viral petitions demanding accountability, the controversy has reached a boiling point. Many Nigerians believe this incident raises deeper concerns about the integrity of the UTME system, fueling discussions on the need for urgent reforms.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, has called for a thorough investigation into JAMB’s technical glitches, ensuring that such failures never occur again.

What Comes Next?

Will JAMB heed the call for fresh examinations? Will the Registrar resign, taking responsibility for the chaos? And most importantly—will students get the fair chance they deserve?

For thousands of candidates, their future hangs in the balance. And in the coming weeks, Nigeria will be watching.