The South East Caucus of the House of Representatives has formally demanded the resignation of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), over what they described as a "catastrophic institutional failure" in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In a statement issued on Monday, the caucus leader, Igariwey Enwo, highlighted the technical glitches that affected approximately 380,000 candidates nationwide, many of whom are now required to resit the examination.

The lawmakers criticized JAMB's response to the crisis as "grossly inadequate" and pointed to several issues including poor communication, scheduling conflicts with ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations, and the insufficient notice given to affected candidates for the rescheduled tests.

"Over the past week, we have exercised restraint, hoping that JAMB would provide effective remedial measures to address what is clearly a catastrophic institutional failure—one that has severely shaken public trust and the confidence of students and their families nationwide," the caucus stated.

The South East legislators expressed particular concern that all five states they represent were directly affected by what JAMB termed "score distortions." They noted that while Prof. Oloyede had admitted to JAMB's failures, the remedial steps taken thus far have fallen "drastically short" of expectations.

"JAMB's knee-jerk, fire-brigade approach has been anything but adequate. Students in the South East—many of whom are currently writing their WAEC examinations—were given less than 48 hours' notice to appear for the rescheduled UTME," the statement continued.

The caucus has called for several immediate actions, including:

- Complete cancellation of the 2025 UTME and setting of a new date, preferably after the conclusion of both WAEC and NECO examinations

- Suspension of key officials responsible for JAMB's digital operations and logistics

- The resignation of Prof. Oloyede to allow for a thorough, independent review of the failure and restore public confidence in the examination body

"Accountability must go beyond apologies," the lawmakers maintained, emphasizing that the situation has caused significant distress and confusion for students and their families, particularly as some rescheduled UTME sessions reportedly clashed directly with ongoing WAEC examinations.

This development comes amid growing national concern over the integrity of the 2025 UTME process, with various stakeholders calling for comprehensive reforms to prevent similar occurrences in the future.