THE ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) branch, has threatened to take legal action against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over what it describes as an alarming rate of failure in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The union alleges that the results disproportionately affected candidates from the South East, suggesting a deliberate attempt to limit their admission opportunities.
ASUU Demands Review of Results
During a press briefing in Nsukka on Wednesday, ASUU-UNN Chairman, Comrade Oyibo Eze, stated that his office had been flooded with complaints from distressed parents and candidates. He accused JAMB of systemic bias, claiming that candidates from the South East and Lagos State — where many Igbo students reside — were unjustly marked down.
“Out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200, with a significant number from the South East and Lagos,” Eze said. “This is unacceptable. If JAMB does not review these results, we will challenge them in court.”
Allegations of Regional Disparity
Eze argued that JAMB’s grading system unfairly disadvantages South Eastern candidates, who he claims must score significantly higher than their counterparts in other regions to secure admission, particularly in competitive courses like Medicine.
“While some candidates gain admission with scores as low as 120 in certain regions, our students are held to a much higher standard. This is an injustice that must be addressed,” he stated.
Call for Government Intervention
The ASUU chairman urged South East governors to intervene, emphasizing that the academic future of the region’s youth was at stake.
“Our leaders must not remain silent while JAMB undermines the prospects of our children,” Eze said. “While we support sanctions for exam malpractice, it is wrong to penalize entire examination centers due to the actions of a few.”
Questioning Anomalies in Results
Eze cited the case of University Secondary School, Nsukka, where no candidate reportedly scored above 200 — a result he deemed implausible given the institution’s academic reputation.
“How is it possible that not a single student from this school met the 200-mark threshold? JAMB must explain this anomaly,” he demanded.
Urgent Appeal to JAMB
The union called on JAMB to swiftly review the results, warning that failure to do so could lead to widespread protests.
“This issue has become a national concern,” Eze said. “JAMB must act now to rectify these irregularities before the situation escalates.” JAMB has yet to respond to these allegations. (NAN)
