Reps to Probe JAMB over 2025 UTME Failure

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the technical malfunction that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), resulting in widespread failure.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Adewale Adebayo from Osun State during Thursday’s plenary session.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had released the 2025 UTME results on May 9, revealing that over 78% of the 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 out of 400 — a sharp decline in performance.

Following public backlash, JAMB disclosed that a technical glitch affected the results of 379,997 candidates. At a press conference in Abuja, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede attributed the issue to server failures in Lagos and South-East centres caused by faulty software updates from one of the board’s service providers. He said the glitch went undetected before the results were released.

To remedy the situation, JAMB has scheduled a re-examination for the affected candidates from May 16 to May 19.

In his motion, Rep. Adebayo emphasized the physical, emotional, and financial toll the situation had taken on candidates and their families, urging the House to investigate and prevent future failures.

Supporting the motion, Rep. Sada Soli from Katsina praised Oloyede’s transparency in owning up to the error and his efforts to reform JAMB’s operations.

However, Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, said any commendation of the JAMB Registrar should await the findings of the investigative committee.