The South-East Caucus of the 10th House of Representatives has demanded Prof. Ishaq Oloyede's resignation as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) following widespread technical failures in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement issued by caucus leader Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, the lawmakers described the conduct and outcome of the 2025 UTME as a “national shame” and called for the examination to be cancelled and rescheduled across the country.
“The registrar of JAMB is said to be a good man, but then, leadership must carry consequences. We call on the Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to do the needful by resigning his appointment to pave the way for a thorough examination and remediation of the root causes of this national shame,” the statement read
The caucus emphasised that the technical glitches, which affected over 150 examination centres, had severely undermined public trust in the examination body, especially in the South-East, where all five states reportedly suffered from what JAMB termed “score distortions.”
JAMB's appeal to Nigerians
Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar [Facebook]
JAMB had earlier admitted to faults in the examination process. At a press conference on May 14, an emotional Prof. Oloyede acknowledged errors, saying, “It is our culture to admit errors because we know that in spite of the best of our efforts, we are human; we are not perfect.”
Following public outcry, JAMB announced that approximately 379,997 candidates would retake the examination.
The board confirmed that 157 of the 887 centres had technical issues that led to abnormally low scores and irregularities in the exam questions and answers.
However, the lawmakers argued that JAMB’s apology and planned retake fall short.
“This is clearly a disastrous and catastrophic institutional failure,” the caucus said, warning that the flawed UTME outcome has deprived thousands of students in the region of “equal and adequate educational opportunities.”
They also called for the immediate suspension of key JAMB officials responsible for digital operations and exam logistics.