UTME 2026: Obi Knocks JAMB Over Sanctions on CBT Centres, Warns Candidates May Suffer

 

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has criticised the punitive measures imposed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, warning that the action could negatively affect students seeking to complete their registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB had earlier announced that registration for the 2026 UTME will close on February 26, stressing that there would be no extension of the deadline.

Reacting in a statement shared on his X handle on Monday, Obi expressed concern that the sanctions placed on certain CBT centres may have serious consequences for candidates rushing to meet the registration deadline.

He recalled that similar concerns were raised last year over the hardship experienced by students across various centres nationwide, particularly at the board’s Amawbia office in Anambra State, following the proscription of several CBT centres over alleged infractions.

According to him, expectations were high that corrective measures would be implemented after the incident. However, during a visit to the Amawbia office last Friday, he observed what he described as persistent overcrowding and confusion.

Obi added that further findings revealed that similar situations were playing out in other states.

While acknowledging that JAMB may have valid reasons for sanctioning erring centres, he urged the board to adopt what he termed a more balanced and humane approach to prevent innocent candidates from bearing the brunt of administrative actions.

He suggested that centres under investigation could be permitted to provide limited services under strict supervision to forestall further irregularities. He also proposed that previously approved centres could be temporarily reactivated under close monitoring to ease the pressure on JAMB’s state offices.

With the registration deadline fast approaching, Obi warned that many candidates, especially those travelling from remote communities, risk being shut out of the examination process.

He noted that some students travel long distances and even sleep overnight in Awka in a bid to secure access to registration facilities.

“If urgent steps are not taken, some candidates may miss the examination, not due to lack of preparation, but because the system failed them,” he cautioned.

Obi stressed that students should not be made to suffer for systemic lapses, urging authorities to act swiftly and compassionately to ensure that no candidate’s future is jeopardised by avoidable administrative bottlenecks.