The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has come under intense scrutiny following its decision to withhold the results of 192,089 candidates who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The results, which represent 9.75% of the total number of candidates, were withheld due to alleged cases of examination malpractice.
WAEC’s Head of National Office (HNO), Dr. Amos Dangut, made the announcement earlier, stating that the results were being investigated based on various reports of misconduct during the examination period.
Reacting strongly to the development, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, who represents Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, condemned WAEC’s decision and issued a seven-day ultimatum to the examination body. He demanded the immediate release of the affected results, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action.
According to Ogah, the withholding of such a significant number of results is a disservice to Nigerian youths and poses a grave threat to their academic and future aspirations. He described the action as sabotage and accused WAEC of frustrating the ambitions of innocent students, many of whom are currently processing admissions into tertiary institutions.
“It is unacceptable that after writing both WAEC and JAMB, students are now being denied access to their results on questionable grounds. This unjust treatment could deny them university admission and push some into negative paths due to frustration,” the lawmaker stated.
Ogah also criticized WAEC for what he termed poor handling of the issue. He argued that if malpractice had indeed occurred, it should have been addressed immediately at the examination centers rather than months after the exams. He questioned the credibility of the council’s supervisory system.
“WAEC deploys supervisors and external examiners to monitor the conduct of its exams. If malpractice was observed, action should have been taken on the spot. Postponing decisions until after results are released shows a lack of transparency and fairness,” he emphasized.
Drawing comparisons with other countries within WAEC’s jurisdiction, Ogah noted that such mass withholding of results is rare in countries like Ghana. He accused WAEC of applying double standards and undermining the future of Nigerian candidates.
In a final statement, Hon. Ogah declared: “WAEC has seven days to release these results. If it fails, I will take legal action for abuse of office and injustice against Nigerian children. This is not just administrative failure—it’s a violation of their rights.”