Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised an alarm over the recent controversy surrounding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing it as a clear sign of deeper systemic failures within key national institutions.
His reaction comes after the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, admitted that technical issues had compromised the UTME results of hundreds of thousands of candidates, especially in examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Oloyede took full responsibility for the error and announced that the affected candidates would be required to retake the exam.
In a statement released on Thursday, Obi cautioned that the growing impact of institutional breakdowns in the country is becoming too serious to ignore.
“I recently watched the heartfelt press conference delivered by the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in which he acknowledged that technical glitches had affected the recently released JAMB results, impacting 379,997 candidates. His open admission of fault and the expression of deep remorse stand out as a rare but commendable display of accountability in our public institutions,” Obi said.
However, he stressed that the matter reveals a larger crisis.
READ ALSO: Nigerians Demand Immediate Resignation Of JAMB’s Registrar Oloyede Over Poor UTME 2025 Performance
“But it raises a very concerning issue on glitches and the grave havoc it’s creating in our country, even in critical institutions like JAMB,” he added.
“The emotional and psychological toll on students, and even parents, some of whom have reportedly suffered severe trauma, and in heartbreaking cases, even death, serves as a reminder of what is at stake. The integrity of examination processes and the reliability of public institutions are not optional; they are foundational to any nation’s progress,” he noted.
Obi called for urgent reforms, including stringent quality assurance systems and stronger technical safeguards to prevent future errors.
READ MORE: 2025 UTME Rescheduling for Candidates Begins
“Going forward, JAMB and similar critical bodies must adopt comprehensive quality assurance frameworks. This includes rigorous testing and constant auditing of technical infrastructure. Moreover, transparent communication with candidates and stakeholders, coupled with the prompt resolution of arising issues, is essential to restoring public confidence,” Obi stated.
“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 concluded.
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