The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) chapter, has threatened to take legal action against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking to journalists in Nsukka on Wednesday, the branch chairman, Dr. Óyibo Eze, alleged that the failure was not accidental but a deliberate move targeting candidates, especially those from the South East. He stressed that this has led to massive public outcry and protests, with many parents and citizens expressing their concern and frustration over the results.
“My office has been inundated with protests, calls, and visits from parents and the general public about this deliberate massive failure in the 2025 JAMB examination,” Eze said. His words highlighted the growing dissatisfaction and anger from the public, who have called for immediate action on the part of the examination body.
“ASUU will challenge this result in the High Court if JAMB fails to review the result and give candidates their merited scores,” Eze stated. This warning reflects the seriousness of ASUU's position and their commitment to challenging what they perceive as a grave injustice to students, particularly those from the South East region.
He further emphasized that JAMB was aware that candidates from the South East must score higher in order to secure admission into universities, whereas students from other regions could gain admission with lower scores. “JAMB knows that children from the South East must score higher before they can get admission, whereas their counterparts in some parts of the country can use a score of 120 to gain admission to study medicine in universities in their area,” he explained. This claim points to a long-standing perception of inequality in the admission system.
In the recently released JAMB results, out of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 examination, over 1.5 million scored less than 200, with the majority of those candidates coming from the South East and Lagos State, where many Igbos reside. This has raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the examination process, particularly in these regions where the number of underperforming candidates seems disproportionately high.
Eze also expressed disbelief that not a single candidate from the University Secondary School in Nsukka scored above 200 in the UTME. “How is it possible that high-performing students from such a reputable institution all scored below 200?” he questioned. This specific issue has raised further concerns about the validity of the results and the examination process, as students from an institution with a strong academic reputation should have performed better.
Eze further urged governors from the South East to intervene and resist what he called an academic injustice. “The governors in the zone should not sit by and watch JAMB toy with the academic futures of our children,” he said, appealing to political leaders to take action and safeguard the interests of the students in the region.
“I am not against the board punishing those found guilty of exam malpractice, but JAMB should not, because of a few candidates, fail the entire group from an exam centre,” Eze added. This sentiment underscores ASUU's belief that the actions of a few should not negatively impact the prospects of the majority of deserving candidates who had no involvement in any malpractice.
“This school has superlative students who have excelled academically both inside and outside the classroom. How come all of them scored less than 200 in the exam?” Eze asked, casting doubt on the credibility of the results and raising concerns about the possible systemic failures that led to these outcomes.
“Even if JAMB discovered one or two candidates for exam malpractice, is that enough reason to fail all the others who have prepared so hard for the exam?” Eze added. This statement further stresses the need for fairness and accountability in the examination system, especially for the students who dedicated time and effort to excel in the UTME.
ASUU has called on JAMB to review the results and ensure that deserving candidates are awarded their correct scores. The union’s demand for a fair and transparent review process reflects the broader frustration with the examination system and the need to address the concerns of students, parents, and academic institut
ions across Nigeria.