Lawmakers from Nigeria’s South-West region have thrown their support behind the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, in response to growing calls for his resignation over the mishandled 2025 UTME.
The UTME, which serves as Nigeria’s primary university entrance examination, was marred by technical disruptions affecting nearly 379,000 candidates. The fallout has sparked political tensions, with the South-East caucus in the House of Representatives demanding Oloyede’s resignation.
In a statement, the South-East lawmakers described the incident as a “catastrophic institutional failure,” alleging that the South-East zone was disproportionately affected by the glitches and citing poor communication and scheduling conflicts as contributing factors.
However, South-West lawmakers have rebuffed the calls, describing them as excessive and politically motivated.
Oluwole Oke, a veteran House member representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, said: “The call for resignation is very mischievous. Prof. Oloyede is one of Nigeria’s most transparent and upright public servants.”
His comments were echoed by Wale Raji, who represents Epe Federal Constituency in Lagos. “The Registrar did the uncommon in Nigerian public service by openly admitting the mistake, tendering a heartfelt apology, and arranging for affected students to retake the exam,” Raji said.
Raji also contested claims of regional bias, stating that Lagos was among the worst affected zones.
Meanwhile, Professor Oloyede has continued to maintain that the examination board acted in good faith and is focused on delivering equitable solutions for all candidates.
Efforts to obtain a response from James Faleke, chairman of the South-West caucus in the House, were unsuccessful.
