Dele Farotimi Slams JAMB Over Mass UTME Failures, Says Oloyede Should Be Fired

Prominent human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has condemned the recent apology issued by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over the mass failure of candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), particularly in Lagos and the South East.

According to JAMB, over 300,000 candidates were affected by what it termed a “system glitch.” The Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, expressed regret over the errors and praised critics for showing concern.

“We appreciate all those who have lent their voices to the strident complaints on the results we released because you all did so out of concern. I appreciate our critics immensely because they could have chosen to be indifferent… By not being indifferent to JAMB, we are grateful,”

Oloyede stated during a press briefing.

But Farotimi was not moved by the apology. In a strongly-worded statement posted on his (formerly Twitter) handle, the Afenifere Organizing Secretary questioned the absence of accountability in the Nigerian system, drawing parallels between the JAMB Registrar and INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, both of whom he believes should have been sanctioned for systemic failures.

“In a place governed with vision, inhabited by the rational, and ruled by law, Yakubu would be resident in a prison cell, Oloyede fired, and public hearings would have been scheduled by the government at multiple levels. But this is Nigeria. Nothing will happen. We are different,”

Farotimi wrote.

His remarks reflect growing public anger and disillusionment over the UTME outcome, with many families and education advocates calling for an independent investigation into the reported glitch that disproportionately affected candidates in key regions.

Observers say the incident not only undermines trust in Nigeria’s examination systems but also raises questions about data integrity, regional equity, and administrative competence at JAMB.

Despite the outcry, no formal disciplinary action has been announced, and JAMB has yet to indicate whether affected candidates will be offered any redress.