Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to organise a retake of the compromised English Language examination paper written under poor conditions by some candidates sitting the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Atiku, reacting to viral reports of students writing the exam in darkness using phone torchlights due to delayed delivery of question papers in several centres, described the incident as a “national disgrace” and an indictment of Nigeria’s education infrastructure.
In a statement shared via his official social media handle on Thursday, the former vice president said it would be unjust to hold students accountable for an institutional failure beyond their control, stressing that WAEC’s logistical lapse had jeopardised the future of innocent candidates.
“It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness like second-class citizens,” he said.
He called for immediate redress through the re-administration of the affected paper in all centres where conditions were substandard.
“Anything less would be a grave injustice to the students whose futures hang in the balance,” Atiku added. “Examination preparedness is a shared responsibility between students and the authorities. The latter have failed spectacularly in their duty.”
The exam irregularities, which came to light through videos and eyewitness accounts from states including Delta, Lagos, Rivers, and Osun, have sparked outrage nationwide, with many describing it as a symptom of deeper systemic decay.
Atiku also urged the Federal Government to set and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for all high-stakes national examinations.
“This incident must awaken our national conscience. It must compel immediate and sustained investment in critical social infrastructure, with education as the foremost priority — not in rhetoric but in tangible action,” he said.
The controversial incident occurred just a day after the global observance of International Children’s Day, amplifying calls for urgent education reforms in Nigeria.
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