The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially refuted claims circulating on social media that it cancelled the English Language paper written by students on May 28, 2025.

In a statement released yesterday, Moyosola Adesina, the acting Head of Public Affairs for WAEC, denounced a purported press release dated Friday, May 30, which falsely claimed that the examination had been cancelled and that a new date would be announced for a resit.

"The management of the West African Examinations Council would like to state that the press release being circulated did not emanate from the council," Adesina clarified. "The said examination has not been cancelled. Although the source of that information cannot be ascertained yet, the council is certain that the false claim is being peddled by mischief-makers who are bent on bringing the council to disrepute to cause confusion and panic for candidates who sat the examination."

Examination Day Challenges

The clarification comes after widespread confusion during the English Language examination on May 28. Students across different examination centres experienced significant delays, with some centres not starting the exam until late at night despite being scheduled for 9 a.m.

Reports indicated that some students were forced to use torchlights and phone flashlights to read and answer question papers due to the late-night conditions. WAEC had earlier explained that the delays were implemented after receiving hints of a potential paper leak, necessitating immediate measures to protect the integrity of the examination.

Amos Dangut, Head of the national office of WAEC, recently acknowledged that the exams conducted late at night in some parts of the country did not meet the council's standards.

Ongoing Concerns

The examination body has faced criticism for the handling of the situation. BenriNews learned that WAEC has been slammed with a N100 billion lawsuit related to the midnight examination conditions, and the House of Representatives has reportedly given WAEC officials 24 hours to appear before them regarding the 2025 SSCE issues.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also weighed in on the situation, describing it as a "national disgrace" and blaming WAEC for the poor examination conditions.

Despite these challenges, WAEC maintains that the English Language examination remains valid, and no resit has been scheduled.