WAEC Result Crisis Deepens Over Alleged CBT Glitches

The controversy surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results for school candidates has intensified following fresh allegations of irregularities and technical problems by an official of the West African Examinations Council.

The Head of Examinations at the WAEC office covering Anambra State, Olanrewaju Fadehan, raised concerns over the conduct and processing of the examination results in a video that has circulated widely online.

Fadehan alleged that candidates who took the computer-based version of the examination were particularly affected by problems that occurred around the release of the results.

According to him, the results were initially expected to be released between August 3 and 5, 2026, but issues emerged shortly before the announcement, leading to what he described as last-minute adjustments.

He claimed that the reported changes had consequences for candidates who participated in the computer-based examination, with Mathematics, English and Igbo among the subjects he said were affected.

The WAEC official also questioned the performance of some candidates in Igbo, particularly in parts of the South-East where the language is widely spoken. He said reports of unusually poor results in the subject had added to concerns over the credibility of the outcome.

The controversy has also raised concerns among schools that invested heavily in infrastructure to prepare for WAEC’s move towards computer-based testing.

Fadehan alleged that some schools spent more than N60 million to establish computer-based examination centres in preparation for the new system. He said the reported problems had therefore created additional concerns for schools that committed substantial resources to the transition.

He further alleged that some candidates did not have access to appropriate calculators during the examination. According to him, the issue may have affected students’ ability to perform well in Mathematics and other subjects that require calculations.

Fadehan said he had previously raised concerns about the issues he observed during the examination process and reported them to relevant authorities.

He disclosed that he submitted complaints to the WAEC Board, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examining Bodies and the Minister of Education.

However, he alleged that his complaints did not receive the response he expected. Instead, he claimed that he was subjected to disciplinary proceedings and later placed on interdiction.

The official has called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the factors responsible for the reported poor performance of candidates, with particular attention to students who participated in the computer-based version of the examination.

Beyond the examination results, Fadehan also made allegations concerning the financial operations of WAEC management. His claims included issues surrounding the supply of calculators, students’ identification cards and fees allegedly charged to candidates and other people accessing WAEC services.

He called for an independent investigation into the allegations, arguing that confidence in the examination system was important to the academic future of Nigerian students.

The allegations have added to concerns that had already emerged following the release of the 2026 WASSCE results.

School administrators and education advocates have questioned some of the results, with complaints that certain students who had performed strongly in school and other standardised examinations received unexpectedly low grades in the WAEC examination.

Some stakeholders have linked the complaints to the wider expansion of Computer-Based Testing by the examination body and have called for the results and examination process to be reviewed where credible concerns are established.

The latest allegations are particularly notable because they came from an official of the examination body rather than only from students, parents or school administrators.

However, the claims have not been independently established, and WAEC has yet to provide a detailed response to the allegations.

When contacted for its reaction, WAEC Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, declined to comment on the claims, saying the examination body had no comment at the moment.

The absence of an immediate official response is likely to fuel further calls for clarification, particularly from affected candidates and schools seeking explanations for unexpected results.

The controversy also comes at a crucial period for students who require their WAEC results for admission into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other institutions in Nigeria and abroad.

With allegations ranging from technical glitches to examination materials, result processing and financial practices, stakeholders are now calling for greater transparency in the examination process.

Any investigation into the matter would be expected to establish whether the reported technical problems occurred, determine the extent to which they affected candidates and clarify whether any errors occurred during the marking or processing of the 2026 results.

For affected students and their families, the central concern remains whether the released results accurately reflect candidates’ performance and whether appropriate measures will be taken if genuine errors are established.