UTME 2025: “Resign Now, Weeping Not Enough” – UNIZIK Don Tells JAMB Registrar

A senior lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka (UNIZIK), Dr. Christian Okeke, has called on the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to resign.

Okeke, a Don at the Department of Political Science, asked the JAMB Registrar to step down from his position following the widespread technical failures during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

On Tuesday, Prof. Oloyede admitted that technical issues disrupted the examination across Nigeria, especially in Lagos and 92 centres across the South-East states of Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu.

He publicly apologised, acknowledging the problems and announcing that nearly 380,000 candidates would need to retake the exam between May 16 and 18.

Prof. Oloyede, visibly emotional during a press briefing, accepted full responsibility and blamed the failure on some negligent staff. He promised that steps were being taken to prevent similar issues in the future.

Reacting to the development, Dr Christian Okeke said the registrar should take full responsibility by resigning, stressing that simply apologising and shedding tears isn’t enough.

The UNIZIK lecturer described the plan for a resit as “insensitive,” arguing that forcing students to retake the exam after such a traumatic experience shows a lack of empathy.

According to him, the right move would be to release the actual results from the first exam and hold those responsible accountable, starting with the registrar’s resignation.

“He should go extra step by resigning from office and allowing the federal government to reposition the Board for effective service delivery”, he stated.

Dr. Okeke also criticized JAMB’s initial reaction, noting that the board had originally defended the poor results, insisting that they reflected the students’ actual academic performance.

He argued that JAMB only changed its stance after public pressure and the threat of legal action.

“It is on record that the Board initially denied any wrongdoing and would not have taken any step to look into its incapacity if not for the sustained pressure and threat of litigation.

“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.

“The plans for 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in Owerri Zone covering the five states in the South East to rewrite the exam is utterly insensitive to human emotions,” Okeke said.

He also stressed the need for psychological support for the affected students and called for structural reforms within the examination body.

“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.

“For once, Nigerians have risen to an unacceptable conduct by government institution and must be commended”, he added.

KanyiDaily recalls that some frustrated parents recently gathered outside the JAMB office, protesting over unfairly low UTME scores for their children.