The Human Rights Watch Foundation (HRWF), Nigeria, has condemned calls for the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, following the technical failures during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group described the demand by the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives as “premature, unfair,” and influenced by “selective outrage and political grandstanding.”
The Vice President of HRWF, Tijjani Sarki, signed the statement and called for balanced accountability in Nigeria’s public institutions. He noted that the recent exam failures, while unfortunate, do not warrant the resignation of a registrar known for reforming JAMB into a more transparent institution.
“Yes, the technical failures during the 2025 UTME were deeply unfortunate,” Sarki said. “But calling for Professor Oloyede’s head is not the answer. It is a misguided overreach.”
Sarki questioned why other public leaders were not held to the same standard. He cited past controversies at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that did not lead to resignation demands.
He continued, “Where was this righteous indignation when far worse scandals plagued our electoral and economic institutions? Why single out JAMB?”
The group commended Professor Oloyede for accepting responsibility and authorising a free retake for nearly 400,000 affected candidates, calling it a mark of true leadership.
“We support accountability,” Sarki added, “but not scapegoating. Officials found culpable should be suspended, but reformers must not be punished for isolated lapses.”The South-East Caucus had earlier called for the cancellation of the 2025 UTME and for Oloyede’s resignation. However, HRWF insists that such a move undermines efforts at institutional reform and fairness in public scrutiny.
