Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, has commended the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede, for admitting to glitches in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Obi said such errors should be avoided in the future.
Obi lauded Oloyede for admitting to the mistakes, saying, “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.”
He added that the incident raised a concerning issue on glitches and the grave havoc it’s creating in the country, even in critical institutions like JAMB.
Obi emphasised that there must be no room for further glitches, saying, “the cost of repeated failure is simply too high.”
He called on JAMB and other similar agencies to adopt comprehensive quality assurance frameworks, including rigorous testing and constant auditing of technical infrastructure, and transparent communication with candidates and stakeholders.
The former Anambra State governor noted that the emotional and psychological toll on students and parents was severe, with some reportedly suffering trauma and even death.
He said, “the integrity of examination processes and the reliability of public institutions are not optional; they are foundational to any nation’s progress.”
The JAMB registrar had admitted to errors in the examination, 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.”
He announced that about 379,997 candidates would retake the examination.
Obi’s commendation of Oloyede’s admission highlights the need for accountability and transparency in public institutions.
The incident has brought to light the persistent fragility of Nigeria’s institutional systems, and efforts should be made to prevent similar glitches in the future.
