JAMB Registrar Oloyede rejects claims of Southeast-targeted UTME glitch as House Caucus demands his resignation and fresh exam for 380,000+ students.
In a sensational twist to the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) saga, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede has vehemently rejected allegations that the technical glitch which disrupted results for Southeastern and Lagos candidates was a targeted assault on the South-East region.
His defence comes in the wake of a scathing demand by the Southeast Caucus of the House of Representatives for his immediate resignation and a fresh exam date for the affected students.
Glitch or Conspiracy?
Hon. Igariwey Enwo, leader of the caucus, branded the incident “a national shame” and accused JAMB’s digital operations of deliberate sabotage. He insisted that those at “the commanding heights” of the board’s logistics be suspended and that Prof. Oloyede be held accountable through resignation.
Yet Oloyede, speaking at a management meeting before the release of rescheduled UTME results, maintained that every candidate enjoys equal opportunity and that no ethnic or regional bias existed in the glitch.
Political Accountability vs. Technical Fallibility
Critics argue that Oloyede’s forthright admission of “sabotage” could be spun into a political weapon against the board.
In contrast, supporters hail his openness and the concession to organise a nationwide mop-up for over 380,000 affected candidates – including 206,610 in Lagos and 173,387 in the South-East.
The rescheduled UTME has already sparked fresh outrage due to scheduling conflicts with ongoing WAEC examinations and less than 48 hours’ notice for some students.
A National Embarrassment or Technical Misadventure?
While the Southeast Caucus demands cancellation of the entire 2025 UTME and a deferment until after all school-leaving exams, JAMB insists that internal reviews are underway to prevent future disruptions.
Prof. Oloyede’s call for a minute’s silence to honour a candidate who tragically died amid the chaos underscores the human cost of administrative failure.
As the battle between political accountability and technical pragmatism intensifies, Nigeria’s examination body faces an existential test: can it restore public confidence or will the UTME glitch become a lasting blot on its credibility?
- Report by Peter Jene
