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 and address mounting concerns over irregularities in the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji, made this known in a statement on Thursday, expressing strong displeasure over WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to clarify issues affecting the credibility and conduct of the exams.
According to Oforji, the Committee had invited WAEC to a hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2025, following numerous complaints from the public. The invitation, he said, was issued on Tuesday, May 27, but WAEC failed to attend without providing a reason.
“The Committee is deeply concerned by widespread irregularities reported across examination centres,” Oforji stated. “We’ve received disturbing accounts of students sitting for exams as late as midnight in some locations. This is completely unacceptable.”
He stressed that WAEC’s failure to appear before the Committee is a serious oversight, especially at a time when the integrity of national examinations is being called into question.
The Committee has now directed WAEC to appear within 24 hours or face further legislative action.
“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.
He said, “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 disorganisation
“Something is 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.”
