WAEC 2026 Results Controversy Deepens Over Alleged CBT Glitches

The controversy surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results has deepened following allegations of technical glitches and irregularities by an official of the West African Examinations Council.

 

The Head of Examinations at the WAEC office covering Anambra State, Olanrewaju Fadehan, made the allegations in a viral video, claiming that candidates who sat the computer-based version of the examination were particularly affected.

 

Fadehan alleged that problems emerged around the release of the results, which he said was initially expected between August 3 and 5, 2026.

 

He said last-minute adjustments were made before the results were released, adding that the development allegedly affected candidates who took the computer-based examination, particularly in Mathematics, English and Igbo.

 

“Obviously, there was a problem because the press was eagerly waiting on Monday, the scheduled date. There was a need to quickly do some last-minute adjustments. Something was wrong,” he said.

 

Fadehan also expressed concern over reports of poor performance in Igbo among some candidates in the South-East, despite the language being widely spoken in the region.

 

He further alleged that schools which invested heavily in facilities for the CBT rollout were affected by the reported problems, with some spending more than N60m to establish examination centres.

 

“The call for a review this year is particularly disturbing, as it is alarming. Schools that subscribed to the CBT innovation of WAEC were badly hit. Some of them spent upwards of N60m and above to set up their CBT facilities,” he alleged.

 

The WAEC official also alleged that some candidates were not provided with appropriate calculators during the examination, which he claimed contributed to poor performance in Mathematics and other calculation-based subjects.

 

Fadehan said he raised concerns about the alleged irregularities during the examination and petitioned the WAEC Board, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examining Bodies and the Minister of Education.

 

According to him, rather than addressing his complaints, he was subjected to disciplinary proceedings and subsequently placed on interdiction.

 

He called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the alleged problems affecting candidates who took the computer-based examination.

 

“I call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to investigate the cause of failure of candidates, particularly those who chose the computer-based WAEC,” he said.

 

Fadehan also made allegations of financial impropriety against the examination body’s management, including claims relating to the supply of calculators, students’ identification cards and charges imposed on candidates and other service seekers.

 

The allegations have added to growing concerns over the integrity of the 2026 WASSCE results following complaints from school administrators and education advocates.

 

Some of them have alleged grading anomalies and technical glitches linked to the expanded CBT rollout, claiming that some high-performing students received grades lower than expected based on their previous academic records and performance in other standardised assessments.

 

Fadehan called for an investigation into the allegations, stressing that the credibility of the examination system was critical to the future of Nigerian students.