By Adesina Wahab, Luminous Jannamike & Gift ChapiOdekina
ABUJA – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the recent incident where Nigerian students were forced to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, in dark and unfit conditions, calling it a ‘national disgrace.’
This came as the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies gave WAEC, a 24-hour ultimatum to appear before it on Friday, to address concerns surrounding the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE.
Meanwhile, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, slammed WAEC, for the delay in the conduct of English Language examination in the ongoing SSCE.
In a statement, Atiku urged immediate action to address the systemic failures in Nigeria’s education sector.
He said: “This is not merely an unfortunate incident, it is a damning indictment of our systemic failure to uphold the most basic standards in public education.
“It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness like second-class citizens.
“Examination preparedness is a shared responsibility between students and the examination authorities. In this case, it is glaringly evident that the latter has failed spectacularly in their duty.
“I, therefore, demand, unequivocally, that the affected examination paper be retaken in all compromised centres. Anything less would be a grave injustice to the students whose futures hang in the balance.
“Going forward, it is imperative that relevant authorities establish and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for all high-stakes national examinations.“
Reps give WAEC 24-hrs ultimatum to appear over ongoing exams
Chairman of the Committee, Oboku Oforji, issued the ultimatum, yesterday, following WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to appear before the panel.
According to Oforji, the committee had invited WAEC to provide explanations over widespread complaints and irregularities observed during the ongoing examinations.
In a statement, Oforji recalled that the committee extended an invitation to WAEC on May 27, 2025, seeking clarification on various issues disrupting the conduct of the exams across the country.
He expressed disappointment at WAEC’s absence during the scheduled hearing, yesterday, describing it as unacceptable given the scale of public outcry over the conduct of the exams.
“The examinations have been riddled with serious irregularities. We’ve received reports of students writing exams as late as midnight in some centres across the country.
“The House felt it necessary to summon WAEC to explain these developments and the trauma candidates are currently facing. However, WAEC responded this morning, saying they couldn’t appear due to their involvement in the ongoing exams. Ironically, this is the very reason we are asking them to appear.”
NANS slams WAEC over delay in writing English paper due to alleged leakage
In a statement yesterday by the National Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, the association said: “We strongly condemn WAEC over the undue delay of the English Language paper on Wednesday ,allegedly due to the leakage of examination questions
“This development, which resulted in the postponement of the examination to an absurdly late period of 4p.m., to 7p.m., demonstrates a shocking level of insensitivity and a gross disregard for the safety and well-being of Nigerian students, particularly those in rural communities.
“The decision to hold examinations at such late hours not only endangers students, many of whom must navigate unsafe routes to and from examination centres, but also disrupts their psychological preparedness and undermines the integrity of the process. WAEC, as a long-standing examination body, is expected to be a beacon of professionalism, preparedness, and efficiency. The repeated incidents of examination paper leakage are a clear indication of systemic failures in WAEC’s security measures and operations.
“NANS strongly believes that these lapses tarnish the credibility of our educational system and unfairly burden Nigerian students, who are already grappling with numerous challenges.”
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