Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the recent incident in which Nigerian students were forced to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in dark and inadequate conditions, describing the situation as a “national disgrace.”Entertainment tourism packages
His comments follow a directive from the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, which has summoned the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to appear within 24 hours to address growing concerns over the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also criticized WAEC for delays in the conduct of the English Language paper, describing the disruption as unacceptable.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku called for urgent reforms and accountability in the education sector, stressing that the current conditions reflect deeper systemic problems.
“This is not merely an unfortunate incident—it is a damning indictment of our collective failure to uphold even the most basic standards in public education,” he said.
“It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness, as though they were second-class citizens.”
He argued that exam preparedness is a joint responsibility between students and exam authorities, and in this instance, the latter failed significantly.
“I demand, unequivocally, that the affected examination paper be retaken at all compromised centres. Anything less would be a grave injustice to the students whose futures are at stake,” Atiku said.
He also urged the authorities to introduce and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructure standards for all high-stakes national examinations moving forward.
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