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By Myke Agunwa, Abuja
Presidential Candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election Peter Obi has raised concerns over how technical glitches are gradually creeping into national systems and frustrating seamless delivery of services in the country.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had on Wednesday admitted that the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) were marred by technical glitches which affected the results of many students.
JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede said that all candidates affected in 157 out of 882 centres will be contacted to retake their examinations starting Friday, 16 May. He said that a total of 379,997 candidates across the 157 centres in Lagos and the South-east would retake the examinations.
JAMB called for a review of the exercise after parents and other stakeholders called for a review of the examination or remarking of exam papers.
Reacting to the development, Obi in his X handle on Thursday, commended the humility of the JAMB boss in admitting the challenges and taking responsibility for the glitches. “His open admission of fault and the expression of deep remorse stand out as a rare but commendable display of accountability in our public institutions”.
He, however raised very serious concerns on the issue of technical glitches and the grave havoc they’re creating in the country, even in critical institutions like JAMB.
You may also recall that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following public outcry over the 2023 general election, admitted that there were technical glitches experienced during the real time uploading of election results from polling units.
“While JAMB’s swift response and willingness to own up to its shortcomings are worthy of recognition, the incident has brought to light a far more troubling reality: the persistent fragility of our institutional systems.
“The emotional and psychological toll on students, and even parents, some of whom have reportedly suffered severe trauma, and in heartbreaking cases, even death, serves as a reminder of what is at stake. The integrity of examination processes and the reliability of public institutions are not optional; they are foundational to any nation’s progress.
“Going forward, JAMB and similar critical bodies must adopt comprehensive quality assurance frameworks. This includes rigorous testing and constant auditing of technical infrastructure. Moreover, transparent communication with candidates and stakeholders, coupled with the prompt resolution of arising issues, is essential to restoring public confidence.
“There must be no room for further glitches – not in JAMB, not in any arm of government. The cost of repeated failure is simply too high” he cautioned.