UTME: CSO condemns calls for Oloyede’s resignation

Civil society organisation, the Human Rights Watch Foundation, Nigeria, has faulted calls by the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives for the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, over the technical failures that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The group on Wednesday in a statement signed by its Vice President, Tijjani Sarki, described the demand for Oloyede’s resignation as “premature, unfair” and driven by “selective outrage and political grandstanding.”

The statement partly read, “Yes, the technical failures during the 2025 UTME were deeply unfortunate, with undeniable consequences for thousands of young Nigerians, particularly those in the South-East.

“But while these setbacks demand swift investigation and accountability, calling for Professor Oloyede’s head is not the answer. It is, quite frankly, a misguided overreach.”

He questioned why lawmakers had not called for the resignation of leaders of other institutions that had faced “far worse scandals,” including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

He said, “We must ask, where was this righteous indignation when other institutions faced far worse scandals? From the repeated electoral chaos overseen by INEC, to the opaque policies at the CBN, the chronic collapses of our national grid, the unexplained fuel price hikes under NNPCL, and even the unresolved allegations of budget padding in the National Assembly, none of these triggered calls for mass resignations.

“Not once was the CBN Governor, INEC Chairman, NNPCL GMD, Minister of Power, or the leadership of the National Assembly asked to step down.

“So why single out JAMB? Why target a registrar internationally recognised for transforming an institution once riddled with inefficiency into a beacon of reform and transparency?”

The group praised Oloyede for accepting responsibility and authorising free retakes for the nearly 400,000 affected candidates, insisting that such action was evidence of leadership, not failure.

“Unlike many, Professor Oloyede has taken full responsibility for the glitch. He has not hidden behind bureaucracy,” he added.

While supporting the suspension of any JAMB official found culpable, the group warned against scapegoating “genuine reformers”.

He stated, “We firmly support the suspension of any JAMB official found to have contributed to the breakdown. A full-scale, transparent investigation must follow, and those found culpable must be held accountable without fear or favour.

“But let us not set a dangerous precedent where scapegoating replaces sound judgment, and genuine reformers are punished for isolated technical lapses while chronic failures in other sectors are swept under the carpet.

“Nigeria needs courageous leadership, one that holds all public officers to the same standard, not just those bold enough to reform.”

The South-East Caucus of the House had earlier demanded the cancellation of the 2025 exams and the resignation of the JAMB boss.