By Ayomide Otitoju
Former presidential spokesman Laolu Akande has commended the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for publicly acknowledging errors in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing the move as a rare act of accountability in public service.
Oloyede had earlier this week admitted to technical glitches affecting the recent UTME during a press conference in Abuja. The disclosure sparked mixed reactions across the country.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Akande said Oloyede deserved credit for taking responsibility amid mounting criticism.
“This is not something many public officials are willing to do,” Akande said. “Oloyede said, ‘This is an embarrassment. I take responsibility.’ That’s uncommon, and it should be encouraged.”
He also cautioned against allowing opponents of JAMB’s anti-malpractice reforms to exploit the situation, emphasizing that Oloyede has been a key figure in the fight against examination fraud.
“We are dealing with a pandemic of cheating,” Akande noted. “Parents are paying for proxies to sit exams for their children. Oloyede is confronting that head-on, and so is the education minister. They deserve our support, not condemnation.”
JAMB’s admission of error followed widespread complaints of unusually low scores and technical malfunctions during the 2025 UTME. A subsequent review revealed that 157 of the 887 exam centres nationwide experienced disruptions.
The board has since scheduled a retake of the UTME for 379,997 affected candidates, beginning May 16, 2025.
Akande urged stakeholders to maintain perspective, commending JAMB’s leadership for prioritizing transparency and reforms.
