Chinedu Ogah, the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, has raised an alarm that nearly 80 per cent of Nigerian youths risk losing admission into tertiary institutions this year due to the continued withholding of their West African Examination Council (WAEC) results.
Ogah, in a statement on Wednesday, urged WAEC to immediately release the remaining results of candidates it withheld in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) over alleged malpractice, warning that the body is frustrating the educational dreams of young Nigerians.
He noted that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has already released its results and admissions are ongoing, but thousands of candidates cannot secure placements because their English Language and Mathematics results remain pending.
The lawmaker cited the WAEC Act, Cap W4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, stressing that the Council’s core mandate is to conduct examinations in the public interest, mark them, and award certificates. He said the law did not empower WAEC to withhold results indefinitely, especially without clear evidence of malpractice.
Ogah further reminded the Council that WAEC was established to promote excellence, provide reliable educational assessment, and support human resource development in the sub-region, not to frustrate candidates and deny them admission opportunities.
He disclosed plans to institute a ₦50 million lawsuit against WAEC, describing its actions as “abuse of office and sabotage.”
“WAEC has supervisors, invigilators, and external examiners who monitor schools during exams. If malpractice is detected, the right thing is to cancel the paper immediately, not to withhold results months later when students are already processing admission,” Ogah said.
The lawmaker further alleged that such practices are peculiar to Nigeria, insisting that they do not happen in Ghana or other West African countries where WAEC also operates.
Recall that WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, announced the release of this year’s results but confirmed that 192,089 candidates representing 9.75 per cent of those who sat the exam remained withheld over alleged malpractice.
Ogah urged the Federal Ministry of Education to wade into the matter and set up a committee of inquiry, warning that continued delay would push many young people into frustration and social vices.
