WAEC: Atiku calls for retake as students write exam at night

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the recent reports of students writing their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in dark and unsuitable conditions, describing the development as a “national disgrace” and calling for immediate redress.

In a strongly worded statement shared via his official X handle, Atiku expressed outrage that such a scenario could unfold in 2025 and just a day after the world marked International Children’s Day. He said the incident reflects a deep-rooted failure of public institutions to provide basic educational infrastructure.

“This is not merely an unfortunate incident — it is a damning indictment of our systemic failure to uphold the most basic standards in public education,” Atiku wrote. “It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness like second-class citizens.”

The former Vice President emphasized that the failure lies not with the students, but with examination authorities who failed in their duty to ensure a conducive testing environment. He argued that it would be “utterly unjust” to allow young candidates to bear the consequences of what he described as “gross institutional negligence.”

As part of his demands, Atiku called for the immediate retake of the affected examination papers in all compromised centres, insisting that anything less would be “a grave injustice” to the students involved.

“Examination preparedness is a shared responsibility between students and the examination authorities. In this case, it is glaringly evident that the latter have failed spectacularly,” he noted.

He urged the Federal Government and education stakeholders to treat the incident as a national wake-up call, stressing that education infrastructure must become a top priority — not just in policy declarations but in real, tangible investments.

“Going forward, it is imperative that relevant authorities establish and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for all high-stakes national examinations,” he added. “We must never allow such a shameful scenario to repeat itself — not under our watch.”

As of press time, WAEC and the Ministry of Education have yet to issue an official statement addressing the situation or responding to Atiku’s call for a retake.