Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has hit back at critics calling for his resignation over the glitches experienced during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a stakeholder meeting in Abuja with chief external examiners and civil society organizations, Oloyede defended his administration and dismissed the calls for resignation, suggesting his critics lacked the credentials to question his leadership.
“Truck pushers cannot direct pilots,” Oloyede said, making it clear he believed the calls were coming from those unqualified to offer guidance in educational matters.
The backlash, particularly from the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives, had grown following controversies that trailed this year’s UTME.
Oloyede announced that JAMB will conduct a special mop-up exam to accommodate about 5.6% of candidates who missed the main UTME for legitimate reasons.
“We are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will be given another opportunity. It’s not extraordinary. In any academic setting, makeup exams are normal.”
He reiterated JAMB’s commitment to fairness and inclusiveness, assuring stakeholders that no deserving candidate would be left behind.
Addressing allegations of ethnic bias and administrative failure, Oloyede pushed back strongly.
“People say, ‘Where is he from?’ That never mattered to me. I’ve worked with people based on their competence, not their ethnicity. The idea that this is a conspiracy is baseless.”
He attributed much of the public outrage to ignorance and sensationalism, urging stakeholders and the media to avoid politicizing education.
Clarifying the role of the UTME, Oloyede said, “UTME ranks candidates for available spaces in tertiary institutions. It is not the final measure of a student’s intelligence or future.”
He explained that admissions involve a broader assessment, including post-UTME performance and institutional evaluations.
Oloyede also spoke emotionally about the tragic suicide of 19-year-old candidate Opesusi Timilehin, who reportedly took her life after scoring below expectations in the UTME.
“That tragedy broke all of us. Unfortunately, there were also false reports—some parents called me pretending their children had died, only to ask for money later.”
The Registrar revealed he considered stepping down following the incident.k
“When this happened, my first reaction was to resign. But people advised me that the students will never forgive you—it would appear as though you abandoned them in their moment of need.”
While many anticipated the release of the rescheduled UTME results on Wednesday, Oloyede did not address the timeline during the meeting. However, JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin later assured that the results would be released shortly via an official statement.
Wrapping up the session, Oloyede reaffirmed his commitment to integrity and progress in the examination process.
“Let us not descend to the level of opportunists exploiting challenges for personal or political gain. We will fix what went wrong and continue to build an examination system Nigeria can be proud of.”
