The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) branch, has accused the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) of deliberately failing candidates from the South-East in the recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Speaking to journalists in Nsukka on Wednesday, the Chairman of ASUU-UNN, Dr. Oyibo Eze, described the mass failure of students, particularly from the South-East region, as a calculated attempt to deny them access to university education.

Dr. Eze stated that the union had received numerous complaints and petitions from parents and members of the public who believe the UTME outcome was manipulated against candidates from the region. He warned that unless JAMB takes immediate steps to review the results and ensure transparency, ASUU would seek legal redress.

“My office has been overwhelmed with protests, phone calls, and visits from concerned parents over this deliberate failure,” he said. “ASUU is ready to challenge the outcome in court if JAMB does not correct this injustice. Everyone knows that students from the South-East are often expected to score significantly higher to gain admission, while others are admitted with far lower scores—even into competitive courses like Medicine.”

According to JAMB’s data, over 1.5 million of the 1.95 million candidates who sat for the exam scored below 200. Dr. Eze noted that a large number of those affected were from the South-East and Lagos State, which has a high population of Igbo residents.

He expressed particular concern over the case of the University Secondary School, Nsukka, where none of the candidates reportedly scored up to 200—a situation he described as “unbelievable and unacceptable.”

“This school has some of the best students academically. Even if a few were involved in malpractice, that is not enough reason to punish everyone,” he added.

Dr. Eze called on governors from the South-East to speak out and challenge what he described as “an academic injustice.” While emphasizing that ASUU does not condone examination malpractice, he urged JAMB to handle such issues with fairness rather than sweeping punitive measures.

He concluded by urging JAMB to urgently review the 2025 UTME results, warning that continued silence may spark national outrage or protests.