Reps Give WAEC 24 Hours to Show Up Over Exam Complaints

By Gloria Ikibah

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The House of Representatives has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) a 24-hour deadline to appear before its Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies.

This follows WAEC’s failure to show up at a scheduled hearing on Thursday, May 29, 2025, where lawmakers expected answers about problems affecting the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji, said the panel first invited WAEC on Tuesday, May 27, to respond to reports of irregularities and complaints coming from different parts of the country during the exams.

Oforji said it was disappointing that WAEC did not attend the meeting, especially at a time when students, parents, and schools are raising serious concerns. He called the council’s absence unacceptable and asked them to appear without fail on Friday, May 30.

The Committee says it wants direct answers to help address the situation and ensure the exams run smoothly going forward.

The statement reads in part: “The examinations have been riddled with serious irregularities. We’ve received reports of students writing exams as late as midnight in some centres across the country.

“The House felt it necessary to summon WAEC to explain these developments and the trauma candidates are currently facing. However, WAEC responded this morning, saying they couldn’t appear due to their involvement in the ongoing exams. Ironically, this is the very reason we are asking them to appear”.

Oforji emphasised that the Committee expects WAEC to appear before it on Friday, warning that failure to do so would compel the lawmakers to invoke the constitutional powers of the House to ensure compliance.

“Our intention is not to witch-hunt WAEC but to seek answers that will calm public tension and prevent a recurrence of these challenges. WAEC has been conducting exams for decades, and we have never experienced this level of disorganization.

“Something is clearly wrong, and it must be addressed. The Committee has therefore resolved that WAEC must appear unfailingly on Friday, May 30, 2025, or face legislative sanctions in accordance with the powers vested in us by the Constitution”, it stated.