The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, chapter, has vowed to take legal action against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, over what it described as a “deliberate and discriminatory” mass failure in the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
Speaking at a press conference in Nsukka, Enugu State, on Wednesday, ASUU-UNN Chairman, Comrade Óyibo Eze, alleged that the unusually high rate of failure—particularly among candidates from the South East and Lagos—suggests systemic bias.
According to Eze, over 1.5 million of the nearly 2 million candidates who sat for the UTME scored below 200, with a disproportionately high number of affected students from South Eastern states and Lagos, which has a large Igbo population.
“My office has been overwhelmed with calls, visits, and protests from distraught parents and members of the public,” he said. “This level of failure is not only unacceptable but appears targeted at denying children from the South East access to tertiary education.”
Eze argued that JAMB’s uneven admission standards across Nigeria exacerbate the issue. “In some regions, candidates are admitted into competitive courses like medicine with scores as low as 120, while children from the South East must score much higher just to be considered,” he said.
READ ALSO: Over 1.5 million JAMB candidates score low marks
The ASUU chairman further cited the case of the University Secondary School, Nsukka, where not a single candidate reportedly scored up to 200. “This is a school known for producing outstanding academic achievers,” he noted. “To suggest that none of its students performed above average is both absurd and suspicious.”
He accused JAMB of punishing entire exam centres over suspected malpractice by a few candidates and warned that such actions not only damage student morale but also undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
“If this situation is not urgently addressed, ASUU will challenge it in court,” Eze declared. “We are not against sanctioning students involved in malpractice, but we reject the collective punishment of innocent candidates who worked hard.”
He also called on governors of South Eastern states to intervene and protect the academic future of their youths. “The silence of political leaders from the zone is disturbing. They must rise to the occasion and demand transparency and fairness from JAMB,” he said.
Eze warned that if the exam board fails to review the results and restore deserving scores, the issue could escalate into a national crisis. “This is no longer a regional concern,” he said. “It is becoming a matter of national integrity and equity.”
NAN
