The controversy surrounding the dismal performance of candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has escalated, as 1,534,654 candidates who scored below 200 have formally petitioned the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for a review of the examination process.
Represented by their legal counsel, Barrister John Nwobodo, the petitioners are invoking the Freedom of Information Act, demanding full disclosure of the examination questions and the answers allegedly submitted by each candidate. They argue that the published scores do not reflect their actual performance and are potentially the result of a technical fault in JAMB’s grading software.
Breakdown of the Petitioning Candidates
The petitioners comprise candidates across various score ranges:
- 2,031 scored below 100
- 3,820 scored between 100–119
- 57,419 scored between 120–139
- 488,197 scored between 140–159
- 983,187 scored between 160–199
With only 22% of candidates scoring 200 and above, public concern has mounted over what is being called the “worst failure rate” in the history of the exam.
Calls for Transparency and Software Review
In his statement, Nwobodo said:
“Our clients dispute the results as not reflective of their effort, presupposing a possible glitch in JAMB’s software. This may have caused a mismatch between questions answered and scores awarded.”
The petition argues that JAMB’s current system lacks transparency, as candidates are only shown their total scores without insight into which answers were marked right or wrong. To restore trust and accountability, the group demands:
- Full access to questions and answers each candidate attempted.
- Review to ensure accurate scoring.
- A system reconfiguration for future transparency.
Nwobodo emphasized that the petitioners are prepared to explore legal action, including a possible class-action lawsuit, if JAMB fails to address their concerns.
Growing Pressure on JAMB
This development adds to the mounting pressure on JAMB, which has already faced public backlash and protests from candidates who believe their results were misrepresented. Critics are also urging reforms to ensure fairness and clarity in future examinations.
JAMB is yet to issue an official response to the petition at the time of this report.
