The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) branch, has raised serious concerns over the recently released results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), alleging a deliberate marginalization of candidates from the South East, including Ebonyi State.
In a media briefing held in Nsukka, the Chairman of ASUU-UNN, Dr. Óyibo Eze, decried what he described as an orchestrated attempt by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to limit the chances of South Eastern students in gaining admission into Nigerian universities.
Dr. Eze stated that his office had been overwhelmed with complaints, protests, and visits from concerned parents and citizens following the mass failure recorded in the exam, particularly in South East states and areas with a high Igbo population such as Lagos.
“Out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200. A significant portion of these are from the South East and places like Lagos where many Igbo students reside,” he noted.
He claimed that the pattern of results suggested targeted discrimination, arguing that students from the region were being held to unfair standards compared to their counterparts in other parts of the country.
“Children from the South East must score significantly higher before they’re considered for competitive courses like Medicine, whereas in some regions, a candidate with 120 can get in,” he said.
Dr. Eze didn’t stop at criticism — he issued a strong warning that ASUU may seek legal redress if JAMB fails to review and adjust the results to reflect merit. He also called on South East governors, including those in Ebonyi, to take a stand against what he termed an injustice.
“Governors of the South East must not remain silent while JAMB plays with the academic future of our children,” he insisted.
Citing a specific example, Eze expressed disbelief that no student from the prestigious University Secondary School, Nsukka, scored up to 200, despite the school’s academic track record.
“Even if malpractice was discovered with a few candidates, it should not lead to a blanket failure for an entire center or region,” he added.
ASUU is demanding an immediate review of the results, warning that continued silence on the matter could lead to national protests.
The union maintained that while it does not support exam malpractice in any form, the blanket penalization of students who genuinely prepared for the exam is unacceptable.
As pressure mounts, all eyes are now on JAMB and the South East governors, including Ebonyi State’s leadership, to respond to growing calls for fairness, transparency, and justice in Nigeria’s university admission process.
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