WAEC result controversy deepens over CBT glitches, irregularities

The controversy surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results has intensified following fresh allegations of technical glitches and irregularities by a serving official of the West African Examinations Council.

The Head of Examinations at the WAEC office covering Anambra State, Olanrewaju Fadehan, made the claims in a video that has gone viral, particularly raising concerns about the performance of candidates who took the computer-based version of the examination.

Fadehan alleged that problems emerged around the release of the results, which he said had initially been expected between August 3 and 5.

He claimed that last-minute adjustments were made before the results were eventually released, raising concerns about the integrity of the process.

“Obviously, there was a problem because the press was eagerly waiting on Monday, the scheduled date. There was a need to quickly do some last-minute adjustments. Something was wrong,” he said.

According to him, the alleged adjustments particularly affected candidates who sat the computer-based examination in subjects such as Mathematics, English and Igbo.

He also questioned the performance of some candidates in Igbo, expressing concern that students from the South-East, where the language is widely spoken, reportedly recorded poor results.

The WAEC official further claimed that schools that invested heavily in preparing for the council’s transition to computer-based testing had suffered financial losses.

He alleged that some institutions spent more than N60 million on CBT facilities in anticipation of the new examination format.

“The call for a review this year is particularly disturbing, as it is alarming. Schools that subscribed to the CBT innovation of WAEC were badly hit,” Fadehan said.

He also alleged that some candidates did not have access to appropriate calculators during the examination, which he claimed affected their performance, particularly in Mathematics and other calculation-based subjects.

Fadehan said he had previously raised concerns over the alleged irregularities and petitioned the WAEC Board, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examining Bodies, as well as the Minister of Education.

He claimed that instead of his concerns being investigated, he was subjected to disciplinary proceedings and later placed on interdiction.

Calling for government intervention, Fadehan urged President Bola Tinubu to investigate the performance of candidates who took the CBT version of the examination.

“I call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to investigate the cause of failure of candidates, particularly those who chose the computer-based WAEC,” he said.

The official also made allegations concerning the financial management of the examination body, including the supply of calculators and students’ identification cards, as well as charges imposed on candidates and other applicants.

He called for a comprehensive investigation, arguing that public confidence in the examination system must be protected.

When contacted for a response, WAEC Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, declined to comment on the allegations.

“No comment for now,” she said.

The latest allegations come amid growing concerns over the 2026 WASSCE results, with some school administrators and education advocates questioning grades awarded to certain candidates and alleging possible technical problems associated with the expanded CBT rollout.

Some of the complaints have centred on cases where students reportedly received grades that appeared inconsistent with their previous academic records and performance in other standardised examinations.

The latest claims are expected to intensify calls for WAEC to explain the processes used in producing and validating the 2026 results.