Tension is rising among 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates as many have outrightly rejected the apology issued by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over technical errors that marred this year’s examination.
Instead of accepting the board’s explanation, the candidates are demanding a total resit of the examination for all participants nationwide, citing fairness, equality, and the integrity of the examination process.
This backlash follows JAMB’s announcement that 379,997 candidates would be required to retake the UTME due to serious technical failures recorded in 157 centers, mainly across Lagos and the South-East. While the board emphasized that the error only affected a fraction of the candidates, its decision to allow unaffected candidates to retain their results has sparked anger and protests.
Candidates are accusing the examination body of creating an uneven playing field. They argue that by allowing some results to stand while others are annulled, JAMB is undermining the principle of equity and could be setting a dangerous precedent for future national exams.
“There’s no way to ensure fairness unless everyone sits for the exam again,” said one concerned candidate. “This is about integrity and setting the right standards.”
JAMB, on its part, insists it is taking necessary measures to rectify the situation, including rescheduling exams for the affected candidates and holding consultations with key stakeholders to avoid a recurrence.
However, the push for a blanket resit has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing controversy. It remains to be seen whether the board will reconsider its decision or stand by its current approach in what is shaping up to be a major test of public trust in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system.
