The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) chapter, has warned that it may take legal action against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) following the high failure rate recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
ASUU-UNN Chairman, Comrade Óyibo Eze, made the statement on Wednesday, May 14, while addressing journalists in Nsukka.
ASUU Alleges Targeted Discrimination Against South East Candidates
Eze accused JAMB of deliberately manipulating results to prevent candidates from the South East from gaining admission into universities.
“My office has been flooded with complaints from parents and the public about this deliberate mass failure in the 2025 UTME,” he said.
“If JAMB doesn’t review the results and award candidates the scores they truly earned, ASUU will take the matter to the High Court.”
According to Eze, students from the South East face stricter admission hurdles compared to others.
“Everyone knows candidates from our region need very high scores to secure admission, especially into competitive courses. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, some students get admitted to study medicine with scores as low as 120,” he added.
Over 1.5 Million Candidates Scored Below 200
Citing JAMB’s own data, Eze noted that out of nearly 2 million candidates who sat for the exam, more than 1.5 million scored below 200.
He said many of those low scores were recorded in the South East and Lagos — areas with large Igbo populations.
Call to Action for South East Governors
Eze urged governors from the South East to intervene and demand fairness from JAMB.
“Our leaders must not stand by while the academic future of our children is being tampered with,” he said.
While he supports punishing candidates involved in exam malpractice, he said innocent students shouldn’t be penalized.
“Even if a few students were caught cheating at an exam center, why should every student from that center fail?” he asked.
Concerns Over Top-Performing Schools
Eze also questioned how students from high-achieving schools like University Secondary School, Nsukka, all scored below 200.
“That school is known for academic excellence. It’s unbelievable that none of their students scored 200 or above. Something doesn’t add up,” he said.
Warning of Possible National Protests
ASUU-UNN is urging JAMB to review the results immediately to avoid wider backlash.
“This is becoming a national issue,” Eze warned. “If nothing is done, we may start seeing protests across the country.”
