The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to appear before it, following mounting public concern over widespread irregularities in the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, Committee Chairman Hon. Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji expressed deep dissatisfaction with WAEC’s failure to honor an earlier invitation to address troubling reports that have cast a shadow over the credibility of the examinations.

The committee had summoned WAEC to appear at a hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2025, after receiving a surge of complaints from students, parents, and school officials. The invitation was reportedly issued on Tuesday, May 27. However, WAEC failed to attend, and no formal reason was initially given for its absence.

“The Committee is deeply concerned by widespread irregularities reported across examination centres,” Oforji said. “We’ve received disturbing accounts of students sitting for exams as late as midnight in some locations. This is completely unacceptable.”

Oforji described WAEC’s no-show as a “serious oversight,” particularly at a time when the integrity of national examinations is under intense public scrutiny. He noted that WAEC did respond on the morning of the hearing, citing its involvement in the ongoing examinations as the reason for its inability to appear—an explanation the committee found insufficient.

“Ironically, their involvement in the exams is precisely why we’re summoning them. We need answers—urgently,” Oforji added.

The committee has now mandated that WAEC must appear before lawmakers on Friday, May 30, 2025, warning that any further delay or failure to comply will result in the invocation of the House’s constitutional powers to enforce attendance.

“Our intention is not to witch-hunt WAEC,” Oforji clarified. “We are simply responding to public outcry and trying to prevent a repeat of these disturbing incidents. WAEC has conducted examinations for decades, and we’ve never witnessed this level of disorganisation. Something is clearly wrong, and it must be addressed.”

The committee says it hopes WAEC’s appearance will help restore public confidence and ensure that corrective measures are put in place to protect the integrity of the SSCE moving forward. Failure to comply with Friday’s deadline, lawmakers warned, could trigger legislative sanctions as provided for under Nigerian law.