The House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies has vowed to get to the root cause of WAEC exams conducted at midnight
The House of Representatives has vowed to unravel the circumstances surrounding the midnight conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of the country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Rep. . Oboku Oforji (PDP Bayelsa), made the commitment during an interactive session with officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) at the National Assembly.
Oforji underscored the need for accountability, stressing that parents are owed a clear and thorough explanation for a situation that compromised the safety and wellbeing of their children.
The committee had earlier summoned WAEC’s leadership following what it described as “alarming irregularities” in the ongoing examinations.
Apologizing to Nigerian parents and the general public, Rep. Oforji decried the disturbing reports of exams being conducted in the dead of night in some centers.
“In Jalingo, for instance, it was reported that exams began at around 12:00 a.m. This is unacceptable. The emotional trauma inflicted on these students is unimaginable. As stakeholders, we have a duty of care to the public and must ensure such occurrences are never repeated,” he stated.
Representing WAEC at the hearing, Senior Assistant Registrar and Zonal Coordinator, Ambrose Okelezo, informed the committee that the Head of WAEC Nigeria could not be present due to an emergency meeting with the Registrar and heads of national offices.
He appealed to the lawmakers to reschedule the session to Monday to allow the WAEC head appear in person and directly address the issues raised.
But the request was firmly rejected by members of the committee. Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP Rivers) sharply criticized the absence, asserting that WAEC cannot dictate its terms to the House.
“He just admitted he’s not competent to address us. Then why is he still here?” Abiante queried. “In my village, where there is no electricity, students were forced to write exams at 12 a.m. and 1 a.m., calling me in distress. Exam papers were reportedly left in a keke [tricycle] used to carry passengers. This is disgraceful.”
Echoing the outrage, Rep. Billy Osawaru (PDP Edo) expressed similar concerns, moving a motion—seconded by Rep. Abiante—for the hearing to be adjourned until the WAEC Head could personally appear before the committee.
The motion was unanimously adopted, with the hearing rescheduled for Monday, June 2, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.
