The House of Representatives committee on basic education and examination bodies has summoned the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to provide answers for concerns about delayed SSCE papers and other irregularities.
The committee requested the examination body to come before it on Friday, May 30, 2025.
The 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates started on April 24 and is expected to end on June 20, 2025.
The English paper of the 2025 WASSCE was scheduled for May 28, but was held hours behind schedule in several centres across the nation.
This occasioned late-night papers, with many students across Nigeria groaning from waiting too long.
WAEC said its focus on reducing question leakage unintentionally led to logistical setbacks and delayed the smooth running of the paper.
Chairman of the house of representatives committee, Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji, subsequently handed a 24-hour ultimatum to WAEC.
He said the ultimatum was as a result of WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to appear before the panel on May 27.
Oforji said the committee had requested WAEC to provide reasons for the widespread complaints and irregularities witnessed during the ongoing SSCE.
“The examinations have been riddled with serious irregularities. We’ve received reports of students writing exams as late as midnight in some centres across the country,” Oforji stated.
“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 said the federal lawmakers would be forced to invoke the constitutional powers of the house if the council failed to appear by May 30.
“Our intention is not to witch-hunt WAEC but to seek answers that will calm public tension and prevent a recurrence of these challenges,” he said.
“WAEC has been conducting exams for decades, and we have never experienced this level of disorganisation.
“Something is wrong, and it must be addressed.”
