UTME result scandal: Peter Obi applauds JAMB registrar for accountability

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has lauded the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for displaying rare transparency and accountability in the wake of the 2025 UTME result controversy.

The recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results revealed that over 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates scored below 200, sparking nationwide concern and criticism. Amid growing public outcry, Prof. Oloyede openly admitted that technical failures had compromised the results of nearly 380,000 candidates.

According to Oloyede, the glitches affected 65 centres in Lagos, impacting over 206,000 candidates, and 92 centres across the South-East, affecting another 173,000 candidates. He expressed regret during a press briefing, even becoming emotional as he addressed the situation.

While many Nigerians responded with anger and called for drastic reforms—including scrapping JAMB altogether—Peter Obi issued a statement titled “Let’s Not Let Glitches Become a National Crisis,” urging a more constructive response.

In the statement, Obi praised Oloyede’s candidness and remorse: “His open admission of fault and deep remorse stand out as a rare but commendable display of accountability in our public institutions.”

However, the former Anambra State governor also used the opportunity to highlight systemic weaknesses across government institutions. “This incident has exposed the fragile state of our institutional systems,” Obi noted. “The emotional and psychological toll on affected students and their families—some of whom have suffered trauma or even death—is deeply troubling.”

Obi called for the immediate strengthening of quality assurance protocols across all examination bodies. He urged institutions like JAMB to adopt rigorous testing, regular audits of technical systems, and transparent communication with stakeholders.

“There must be no room for further glitches—not in JAMB, not in any arm of government. The cost of repeated failure is simply too high,” he warned.

Obi concluded by emphasizing the importance of restoring public trust through competence, responsibility, and swift resolution of lapses in the system.