Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the incident where students sat for their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in complete darkness, describing it as a “national disgrace” and a reflection of deep-rooted dysfunction in Nigeria’s education system.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Atiku called for swift and decisive action to correct what he termed an “indictment of our systemic failure.” He stressed that no Nigerian child should be subjected to such deplorable conditions during critical examinations.
“This isn’t just an unfortunate event—it’s a glaring example of how public education standards have collapsed,” Atiku stated. “It’s unacceptable that in 2025, our children are writing national exams in pitch-black classrooms like second-class citizens.”
Atiku urged that the affected exams be re-administered in all compromised centres, saying failure to do so would be unjust to the students. He further called for the establishment of minimum infrastructural standards for national examinations going forward.
WAEC Gets 24-Hour Ultimatum From House Committee
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) 24 hours to appear before it and address growing concerns over irregularities plaguing the ongoing exams.
Committee Chairman Oboku Oforji revealed on Wednesday that WAEC ignored a prior invitation dated May 27, 2025, aimed at seeking clarity on logistical and procedural failures during the examinations.
“The reports are disturbing,” Oforji said. “Students have been forced to write exams late at night, some as late as midnight. WAEC’s failure to show up today, citing involvement in the exams, is ironic—this is exactly why we summoned them.”
NANS Criticizes WAEC Over Postponed English Exam
In a related development, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has criticized WAEC for delaying the English Language paper amid claims of a question paper leak. The examination, originally scheduled for the morning, was shifted to a late evening time slot—from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
NANS spokesperson Adeyemi Ajasa described the delay as “a gross display of insensitivity” and a risk to student safety, especially for those in rural areas. “Such late-hour exams jeopardize students’ psychological readiness and pose real security threats,” the statement read.
Ajasa accused WAEC of repeated security lapses and called for urgent reforms to restore confidence in the examination process.
