Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the recent incident where Nigerian students were forced to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in total darkness, calling it a “national disgrace.”
Atiku’s statement comes amid widespread outrage over the poor conditions in which the exams are being conducted, with many students taking critical exams in inadequate and unfit environments.
In response to these complaints, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to appear before it this Friday to explain the problems affecting the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The Committee Chairman, Oboku Oforji, emphasized that WAEC had previously failed to honor an invitation to address the panel regarding the numerous complaints and irregularities reported during the exams.
Adding to the criticism, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also slammed WAEC over the delay in conducting the English Language exam in the ongoing SSCE.
Atiku urged swift and decisive action to address the systemic failures within Nigeria’s education sector.
He demanded an immediate retake of any compromised exam papers in all affected centers, warning that failing to do so would be a grave injustice to the students whose futures depend on these results.
He said: “This is not merely an unfortunate incident; it is a damning indictment of our systemic failure to uphold even the most basic standards in public education.
”It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness, treated like second-class citizens.
“Examination preparedness is a shared responsibility between students and the examination authorities. In this case, it is glaringly evident that the latter has failed spectacularly in their duty.
”I, therefore, demand unequivocally that the affected examination papers be retaken in all compromised centres. Anything less would be a grave injustice to the students whose futures hang in the balance.
“Going forward, it is imperative that relevant authorities establish and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for all high-stakes national examinations.”
