By Charles Igwe
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) branch, has raised serious allegations against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), claiming that the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was manipulated to sabotage candidates from the South-East region.
Speaking with journalists in Nsukka on Wednesday, the Chairman of ASUU-UNN, Dr Óyibo Eze, described the massive failure recorded in this year’s UTME as a targeted attack on the academic future of Igbo children. According to him, ASUU is considering legal action if JAMB does not urgently review the results and restore the integrity of the examination process.
“My office has been inundated with complaints, protests, calls and visits by worried parents and members of the public who believe that what happened in this 2025 UTME was not just an error, but a calculated effort to frustrate our children,” Eze said. “We have reason to believe that the results, especially those affecting the South-East, were deliberately skewed.”
Dr Eze pointed to the results released by JAMB, which showed that out of nearly 2 million candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200. He noted with concern that a significant number of these low scores were recorded in the South-East and in Lagos, where many Igbo families reside.
He expressed particular disbelief over the outcome from the University Secondary School, Nsukka — a school known for its academic excellence — where not a single student reportedly scored above 200. “Even if there were one or two cases of malpractice, is that enough reason to cancel the results of an entire centre filled with hardworking students?” he queried.
The ASUU leader also took aim at what he described as “double standards” in university admissions across Nigeria, noting that candidates from the South-East often need much higher scores to be considered for competitive courses, while their peers in other regions secure placements with much lower marks.
“It is well known that a student from the South-East might need 270 to study medicine, while someone elsewhere can get the same admission with 120. This injustice must stop,” Eze declared. He called on governors in the South-East to rise in defence of the region’s educational aspirations, saying, “This is not just about JAMB, it is about our children’s future.”
ASUU warned that failure to address these discrepancies could spark national unrest, as frustrations over access to higher education grow among families and students who feel unfairly treated. “We are giving JAMB an opportunity to do the right thing and restore faith in its examination system. If it fails, we will challenge the result in the High Court,” he vowed.
This controversy adds to mounting public outcry following JAMB’s recent admission of technical errors in the marking process — a development that many believe lends further credence to ASUU’s concerns.
