In a press release issued on Friday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described the calls as “callous, ridiculous, and unpatriotic,” asserting that they reflect “parochial and tribal sentiments devoid of critical reasoning.”

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned recent calls by the South East caucus of the House of Representatives and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) branch, demanding the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede.

In a press release issued on Friday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described the calls as “callous, ridiculous, and unpatriotic,” asserting that they reflect “parochial and tribal sentiments devoid of critical reasoning.”

The backlash follows reported glitches during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in some regions, prompting criticism and a lawsuit threat from ASUU-UNN. The South East caucus of the House of Representatives also weighed in, demanding Professor Oloyede’s resignation.

However, MURIC argues that these demands ignore the Registrar’s transformative impact on JAMB. “Why does the South East desire to kill the goose that lays the golden egg?” Akintola queried, citing Oloyede’s record in overhauling JAMB’s finances and operations.

The Islamic rights group encouraged Professor Oloyede to ignore detractors, whom it described as “academic charlatans, political shenanigans, and ethnic demagogues.”

In a rallying message, MURIC urged the embattled Registrar to stay the course: “Strive on in the glorious path you have chosen. Resignation will send the wrong signal to good Nigerians who consider you their model. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta.”

The statement reads in part: "The South East caucus of the House of Representatives this week called for the resignation of the embattled Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over the examination glitches which occurred during the 2025 examinations in some parts of the country.

"A similar move was made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) branch, which also threatened to sue JAMB yesterday.

"MURIC finds these calls callous, ridiculous, and unpatriotic. They are also parochial, myopic, and condescending. They reek of ethnic partisanship and suffer from intellectual poverty. The idea is a willing partner in the desertification of analytical, critical, and objective thinking. Our lawmakers and academics should rise above tribal jingoism.

"Why does the South East desire to kill the goose that lays the golden egg? It is on record that Nigeria, particularly JAMB, has never had it so good. Whereas JAMB had been a consuming and wasteful institution in the pre-Oloyede days, the incumbent has turned the institution around, refunding billions to the coffers of the Federal Government (FG) on an annual basis since he took over.”

According to the statement, JAMB under Oloyede has remitted more than N50 billion to the Federal Government over the past seven years — a stark contrast to the N52 million remitted in the four decades preceding his tenure. Notable remittances include N3.51 billion in 2021, over N2 billion in 2023, and N6 billion in 2024.

It said, "Is this the man the South East caucus of the House of Representatives wants to resign? Is this how we treat our heroes? How many government agencies have returned money to the government in this manner? Why should our lawmakers seek to destroy a top performer? We contend that this is an attempt to demonise transparency while idolising corruption. They want to sacrifice excellence on the altar of mediocrity. Who did this to Nigeria?

"MURIC charges Professor Oloyede to ignore calls for his resignation, especially from least expected quarters like the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of one of the South Eastern universities. The rantings of institutionalised kleptomaniacs, political shenanigans, academic charlatans, and ethnic demagogues are not worth any attention. The call for Oloyede's resignation is most unpatriotic.”