Jamb reacts to Peter Obi’s criticism over exams held at 6AM

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reacted to allegations by former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi regarding the treatment of students during the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Obi, in a post shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, April 27, criticised JAMB for allegedly requiring admission-seeking teenagers to arrive at exam centres in the early hours, despite prevailing security challenges across the country.

He described the situation as “reckless,” stressing that young candidates, aged between 15 and 17, were being made to travel through dangerous and unfamiliar areas before dawn just to write their exams.

The former presidential candidate lamented reports of students getting involved in accidents, going missing, and suffering emotional distress as a result of the early exam arrangements.

“Teenagers were compelled to move in the dark to unfamiliar locations just to exercise their right to education. Scheduling exams for these vulnerable youths as early as 6:00 am is irresponsible.

“Already, there are reports of accidents, missing persons, and avoidable trauma. Who will bear the blame if any child is harmed while seeking an education?” Obi questioned.

He further blamed the situation on deeper systemic issues within the country’s education and governance structures.

Responding briefly, JAMB dismissed Obi’s claims, clarifying that no exams were scheduled to commence at 6:00 am.

According to the board, the UTME exams for 2025 are slated to begin at 8:00 am each day, with verification and clearance processes kicking off by 6:30 am.

JAMB explained that the early clearance was necessary to ensure that all candidates were properly screened and seated before the exam began.

“Examinations start at 8:00 am, not 6:00 am. The verification and accreditation of candidates begin at 6:30 am to allow adequate time for preparation,” the board noted.

Despite JAMB’s clarification, many Nigerians criticised the arrangement, arguing that it was still unreasonable to expect teenagers to report to exam venues as early as 6:00 am, especially given the current security situation.