The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has come under fire after breaking down in tears during a press briefing where he admitted to errors that contributed to the massive failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Paul Ibe, a media aide to former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday criticized Oloyede's emotional response, stating that the Registrar's tears would only make sense if accompanied by his resignation.

"The apologies of JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede is accepted. But his hot professorial tears will not raise Tmilehin Faith Opesusi, the 19-year-old, who committed suicide on account of this mess. His tears would only make sense if he had resigned honourably," Ibe posted on Facebook.

During Wednesday's press briefing in Abuja, Oloyede admitted that errors had affected candidates' performance in the examination. The JAMB boss was visibly emotional as he addressed the situation that has caused widespread concern across the country.

"What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors," Oloyede said while wiping away tears.

The 2025 UTME results revealed that out of approximately 1.9 million candidates who sat for the examinations, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, representing one of the worst performances in recent years.

Following the admission of errors, JAMB announced that affected candidates would begin receiving text messages from Thursday. About 379,997 candidates from the five South Eastern states and Lagos are expected to participate in resit examinations.

The examination body's handling of the 2025 UTME has sparked outrage among parents, students, and educational stakeholders, with many calling for a comprehensive review of JAMB's examination processes and leadership.

Ibe's reference to the suicide of 19-year-old Tmilehin Faith Opesusi highlights the severe psychological impact the examination results have had on some candidates, further intensifying calls for accountability from JAMB's leadership.

As the controversy continues to unfold, many Nigerians await further actions from both JAMB and the Federal Ministry of Education to address the crisis and prevent similar occurrences in future examinations.