Miffed by the admission of error in the just-concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), some stakeholders have demanded the resignation of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

While the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened legal action against the examination body over the massive failure, which mostly affected candidates from the South-East, some concerned parents and groups said Oloyede should take responsibility and resign with immediate effect.

Following widespread complaints over alleged discrepancies in the released results, where the agency disclosed that of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the exam, 1.5 million, representing 78.9 per cent, scored below 200, the examination body formally reviewed the results.

And in a twist, Oloyede admitted error in the results released, which affected about 379,997 candidates.

He said the board discovered discrepancies linked to faulty server updates in its Lagos and South-East states of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra, which led to the failure to upload candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination.

Oloyede said the problem, which was caused by one of the two technical service providers, went undetected before the results were released.

He said 65 centres in Lagos, with 206,610 candidates, and 92 centres in Owerri zone, with 173,387 candidates, were affected.

To address the issue, JAMB said it would conduct a rescheduled examination for all affected candidates starting tomorrow, May 16.

The development had drawn the ire of many Nigerians, who not only queried the integrity of the examination but also threatened legal action against the registrar.

Already, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) branch of ASUU, has threatened to sue the examination body over the massive failure, which mostly affected candidates from the South-East, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt by JAMB to stop children from the zone from getting admission.

The Chairman of ASUU-UNN, Oyibo Eze, said the union would challenge the action in court.

“JAMB knows that children from the South-East must score higher before they can get admission, whereas their counterparts in some parts of the country will use a 120 score to get admission to read medicine in universities in their area.”

Reacting to the development, the Initiator, Creative Change Centre, Omole Ibukun, called for the resignation of the JAMB Registrar.

“While we need to look at the big picture, fix the system, and not just blame one person, calling for the resignation of the JAMB registrar is not out of place, as a first step. But we must go beyond this,” Ibukun stated.

He said the long-term solution is to make sure everyone has access to the resources they need, and that the exam and marking processes are fair.

“The human and technical errors are due to underfunding of the human resources needed to conduct that exam, and the poor standard of the technical facilities needed for the exam, including the faulty computers at some CBT centres. We should involve the students in this solution, by allowing them to have access to review their scripts to be sure they were marked justly through a transparent process,” Ibukun said.

The National Mobilisation Officer, Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Michael Adaramoye, said the development raises concerns about the examination’s credibility and JAMB’s effectiveness.

According to him, it also highlights deeper issues in Nigeria’s education sector, including inadequate funding and declining quality.

He said: “It is good that JAMB has finally accepted its errors and inefficiency, unlike its previous adamant rhetoric of blaming the victims. However, it is shocking that despite its years of existence and transitioning to CBT, JAMB is still unable to conduct examinations effectively; this is aside from the outrageous number of candidates who are compelled to pay.”

The admission of error, Adaramoye insisted, raises serious concerns about the credibility of the examination and the ability of JAMB.

“Over the years, JAMB has been more interested in being a revenue-generating agency for the government, rather than focusing on its primary assignment.”

Despite over a decade of transitioning to the CBT exam, the group wondered why JAMB still relies on private schools and private computers to conduct an examination, while those in remote areas still have to travel miles to access their centres.

“Obviously, a lot is wrong with JAMB. Beyond the crocodile tears of the registrar, JAMB must begin to take practical steps to prevent a recurrence of this national calamity.

“For the 379,997 candidates affected, the examination must be conducted based on their convenience, and those who have complaints should also be welcome to rewrite the examination. Also, JAMB must provide financial compensation to cover the cost of transportation and other expenses for all the affected candidates.

“Importantly, the blame is not for JAMB alone; it also reflects the deep crises in the education sector. Inadequate funding of the sector has created a huge problem and caused a great decline in the quality of education,” Adaramoye added.

Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, called for the scrapping of JAMB, saying it has outlived its usefulness.

JAMB, while announcing that about 379,997 candidates would retake the examination, said it was a combination of human error and technology.

Oloyede, who wept profusely, intermittently wiping his face with a handkerchief, said he took full responsibility for the negligence of its staff, revealing that 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in Owerri zone, covering the five states in the South-East, would rewrite the exam.

The JAMB boss stated that while notifications would be sent to the affected students from today (Thursday) to reprint their exam slips, they would retake the exercise from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18.

Stakeholders had expressed outrage over the unprecedented mass failure, which saw more than 70 per cent of candidates scoring below 200.

It also led to a 19-year-old candidate, Opesusi Faith Timilehin, committing suicide over low scores, with several reports on X that more candidates are also threatening to end their lives.

Oloyede said: “In simple terms, while 65 centres (206,610 candidates) were affected in Lagos zone (comprising only Lagos state), 92 centres (173,387 candidates) were affected in Owerri zone, which includes the South-East states. In clear terms, in the process of rectifying the issue, the technical personnel deployed by the Service Provider for LAG (Lagos and South-East zones) inadvertently failed to update some of the delivery servers. Regrettably, this oversight went undetected prior to the release of the results.

“Despite being able to identify the source of the problem and the affected centres, we are conscious of the painful damage it has inflicted on the reputation of JAMB.

“As Registrar of JAMB, I hold myself personally responsible, including for the negligence of the service provider, and I unreservedly apologise for it and the trauma that it has subjected affected Nigerians to, directly and indirectly.

“Once again, we apologise and assure you that this incident represents a significant setback for the Board’s reputation. We remain committed to emerging stronger in our core values of transparency, fairness, and equity. It is our culture to admit error because we know that in spite of the best of our efforts, we are human, we are not perfect. The only consolation we have in this case is that it is just one of the two service providers that did not do well by uploading improperly, but it was not a case of glitches or sabotage.”

But the Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, has called on Nigerians to forgive Oloyede following his admission of error.

This is as the governor expressed sadness over a candidate who tragically took her life, due to her low score.

Lawal, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today, emphasised that Oloyede’s acknowledgement of the mistake and willingness to offer a second chance demonstrate accountability and a commitment to rectifying the situation.

He urged Nigerians to forgive him and focus on finding solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He said: “The recent incident involving a young lady who tragically took her own life due to a low JAMB score is deeply unfortunate. However, it is essential to acknowledge that errors can occur despite best intentions.

“Given that the JAMB Registrar has admitted to a system glitch and taken responsibility, I believe he deserves consideration and forgiveness. What is crucial is that the agency has acknowledged the mistake, confessed to it, and it’s willing to offer a second chance. By owning up to the error, Oloyede has demonstrated accountability,” Lawal stated.