The South-East Caucus of the 10th House of Representatives has called for the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, over the widespread technical failures that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In a statement signed by caucus leader Igariwey Iduma Enwo, the lawmakers also demanded a total cancellation of the examination and a new date for a nationwide resit, describing the conduct of the exam as a “national shame.”

“To this end, we call for the immediate suspension of those responsible for JAMB’s digital operations and examination logistics,” the statement read. “The Registrar is reputed to be a good man, but leadership comes with accountability. We therefore urge Professor Oloyede to resign in the interest of transparency and a thorough investigation into the causes of this national embarrassment. That is the standard in any civilised democracy.”

Oloyede, during a press briefing on 14 May, admitted to system failures that affected candidates’ performance, saying, “It is our culture to admit errors because we know that despite our best efforts, we are human.” He made the remarks tearfully, using a handkerchief to wipe his eyes.

JAMB later confirmed that 379,997 candidates would be required to retake the exam due to complaints about technical glitches, unusually low scores, and discrepancies in questions and answers. The Board acknowledged that 157 out of 887 exam centres experienced significant technical issues, contributing to widespread underperformance.

The South-East lawmakers, however, insisted that all five states in the region were “directly affected” by what they termed JAMB’s “score distortions,” and accused the agency of failing students and families across Nigeria.

“This situation represents a catastrophic institutional failure,” the caucus said. “It has severely undermined public confidence in the examination process.”

They argued that JAMB’s apology was insufficient and that corrective action must include accountability at the highest levels. “For the thousands of students from the South-East, the flawed results of the 2025 UTME have denied them equal and adequate educational opportunities,” they said.