Lawsuit Delaying 40,000 Candidates’ Results – JAMB
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has disclosed that it could not release the results of over 40,000 underage candidates who sat the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination until the Court of Appeal rules.
There has been a public outcry over the release of the 2025 UTME results and the withholding of the results of over 40,000 underage candidates.
JAMB had, in February 2025, appealed a ruling by the Delta State High Court, which barred it from enforcing its policy mandating a minimum admission age of 16 years, pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed against the board.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the immediate-past minister for education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, in July 2024, set 18 as the minimum age for admission; his successor, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reversed the policy to cap the admission age at a minimum of 16 years.
JAMB, however, said exceptionally brilliant candidates below 16 years could sit for its UTME.
A lawyer, John Aikpokpo-Martins, took JAMB to court, arguing that JAMB’s restriction of university admissions to candidates aged 16 and above violated sections 18(1) and 42 of the 1999 Constitution.
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Justice Anthony O. Akpovi, in his ruling, declared the policy unconstitutional, adding that it discriminated against qualified candidates solely based on age, denying them equal educational opportunities.
The JAMB’s directive of October 16, 2024, which mandated tertiary institutions to admit only candidates who turn 16 by August 31, 2025, was also declared null and void.
The court ordered universities and JAMB to admit all qualified candidates who meet the requirements, regardless of their date of birth.
An injunction was granted, preventing JAMB and all universities from enforcing any age-related restrictions on admissions.
Speaking with The Punch correspondent in Abuja, the Head of Protocol and Public Relations, JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said, “We appealed the ruling. The release of the result is subject to the appeal court ruling.”ruling.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
