One week after many students were forced to write a crucial English Language examination deep into the night, under torchlights and in visibly uncomfortable conditions, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) still cannot provide a straight answer to a simple question: Were those exams credible?
The question was posed bluntly during a session of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies on Monday: “Are you defining those exams as credible?”
EDITOR’S PICKS
WAEC’s Head of National Office, Amos Dangut, hesitated. First, he said, “It was a credible exam.” When pressed again — “Can the exams conducted using phone flashlights as the only light source be truly considered credible?” — his tone shifted.
“We don’t subscribe to these conditions,” he admitted, eventually conceding under sustained questioning: “They were not credible.”
The exchange laid bare what critics have described as the council’s moral and professional dilemma: defending the integrity of an exam marred by chaos, uncertainty and physical discomfort for thousands of candidates, while also trying to salvage public trust in WAEC’s credibility.
A Disrupted Exam, a Damaged Reputation
The drama began last Wednesday when WASSCE candidates across several south-western states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun, arrived early to write their English Language paper, only for the test to be delayed for hours due to what WAEC later described as a security response to a leaked exam paper.
In some centres, the final exam of the day did not begin until well after nightfall. Reports emerged of students writing the paper by flashlight as late as 11:45 p.m., in schools without electricity, ventilation or basic amenities.
WAEC eventually apologised for the disruption. But for many parents, educators and lawmakers, the apology rang hollow.
“They’ve compromised the futures of these children,” said a parent in Lagos, whose daughter sat for the paper in the dark. “How can you expect children to perform at their best under those conditions?”
WAEC Late-night Exams: Calls for Resignation and Accountability
On Monday, lawmakers did not mince words in their criticism. Amobi Ogah, a member of the committee, directly called for Dangut’s resignation.
“What has happened in your agency deserves that you resign,” Ogah said. “You’ve exposed Nigeria to ridicule. People are laughing at us.”
“At a point, I asked myself, is this sabotage against the government? Or is it targeted against a particular ethnicity?
“What have we done to deserve this? If you were in a developed society, you would have resigned. What is happening in Nigeria today is getting out of hand. It’s an embarrassment to the nation,” the lawmaker added.
Another lawmaker, Billy Osawaru, accused WAEC of failing the nation.
“Admit to the Nigerian people that you’ve failed,” Osawaru said. “If you want to cry, cry now. After crying, tender your resignation.”
He continued: “Everything you’ve told us makes us shed tears because it’s so obvious that we really don’t care.”
A Pattern, Not a Fluke
The bigger question now is whether WAEC is capable of preventing such incidents from happening again. Examination paper leaks have plagued the council for more than a decade, and despite repeated promises of reform, the same crisis keeps resurfacing, with students paying the highest price.
Critics argue that what happened last week was not merely a logistical failure, but a symptom of deeper rot: poor planning, lack of contingency systems and an unwillingness to take responsibility.
WAEC may insist that the exams were credible “nationally” and that only a few centres experienced issues. But for those students who sat for their English paper by torchlight, in the dark, WAEC’s struggle to answer one basic question remains a glaring symbol of a system in crisis.
One Week Later, No Clarity
One week has passed. The apology has been issued. The lawmakers have spoken. But the council still cannot firmly say whether what happened on that night was acceptable.
The one question WAEC still cannot answer — “Were those exams credible?” — may ultimately define public perception of its integrity far more than any official statement.
FURTHER READING
Until that question is answered clearly and truthfully, the credibility of WAEC itself remains under the spotlight.
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