The House of Representatives has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to appear before it and explain mounting concerns surrounding the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The directive was announced on Thursday by the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, Oboku Oforji, following WAEC’s failure to attend a scheduled investigative session with the committee.
“We invited WAEC to explain the problems being reported, including students writing exams as late as midnight in some centres,” Oforji said, expressing dismay over the examination body’s absence.
“Their absence today is unacceptable.”
The committee’s concerns were triggered by reports from across Nigeria indicating widespread irregularities during the examinations, including instances of candidates writing in near-total darkness and extremely late hours.
WAEC had earlier informed the committee that its officials could not attend the meeting because they were preoccupied with ongoing exam activities.
But Oforji rejected the explanation, insisting their presence was crucial.
“But that is exactly why they need to appear. These irregularities are happening under their watch, and the public deserves answers,” he added.
The lawmaker emphasized that the committee’s aim was not to vilify WAEC but to understand the root causes of the chaos and prevent future occurrences.
“This level of confusion during national exams is unheard of. WAEC has conducted exams for years, but we’ve never seen this kind of disorganisation,” Oforji stated.
He further warned that failure to comply with the summons by Friday, May 30, 2025, would prompt the House to invoke its constitutional powers to compel WAEC’s appearance.
“If WAEC fails to appear by Friday, the House will be forced to use its constitutional powers to compel them,” Oforji cautioned.
He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to student welfare and educational standards.
“The goal is to protect students and ensure such challenges do not happen again.”
