LAGOS: The controversy surrounding the 2026 West African Examinations Council results has intensified following allegations of technical glitches and irregularities by an official of the examination body.
The Head of Examinations at the WAEC office in Anambra State, Olanrewaju Fadehan, made the allegations in a viral video, claiming that candidates who participated in the computer-based version of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination were particularly affected.
The development comes amid growing concerns over the integrity of the 2026 WAEC results released for school candidates.
Fadehan alleged that problems emerged around the release of the results, which he said had initially been expected between August 3 and 5, 2026.
According to him, WAEC traditionally releases its results on Mondays, but unusual developments reportedly preceded the announcement of this year’s results.
He alleged that last-minute adjustments were made before the results were released, claiming that candidates who took the computer-based examination were particularly affected.
The WAEC official specifically mentioned subjects including Mathematics, English and Igbo, while raising questions about the performance of some candidates in the South-East in Igbo.
Fadehan said the situation was particularly concerning because Igbo is widely spoken across the region.
The official also raised concerns about schools that invested heavily in preparation for the transition to computer-based testing.
According to Fadehan, some schools reportedly spent more than N60m to establish computer-based examination facilities in anticipation of the WAEC CBT rollout.
He alleged that the schools and their students were badly affected by the issues surrounding the examination and subsequent results.
Fadehan also claimed that some candidates were not provided with appropriate calculators during the examination.
He suggested that the alleged failure to provide suitable calculators may have affected students’ performance in Mathematics and other subjects requiring calculations.
The allegations have added to concerns previously raised by school administrators and education advocates over the 2026 WAEC results.
Fadehan said he had raised concerns about the alleged irregularities during the examination and subsequently petitioned relevant authorities.
He said complaints were sent to the WAEC Board, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examining Bodies, as well as the Minister of Education.
However, the official alleged that instead of his concerns being addressed, he faced disciplinary proceedings and was subsequently placed on interdiction.
Fadehan has called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate what he described as the alleged failure of candidates, particularly those who participated in the computer-based WAEC examination.
He also made allegations concerning the financial management of some aspects of the examination system, including the supply of calculators, students’ identification cards and charges imposed on candidates and other people seeking WAEC services.
He called for an investigation by the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders, stressing the importance of protecting the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
When contacted for a response to the allegations, WAEC Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, declined to comment.
“No comment for now,” she said.
The latest allegations come after earlier concerns over the 2026 WASSCE results for school candidates.
School administrators and education advocates have questioned some of the results, alleging discrepancies between the grades awarded to some students and their previous academic performances.
The concerns have also focused on alleged technical problems associated with the expanded use of Computer-Based Testing for the 2026 WAEC examination.
However, the allegations made by Fadehan and other stakeholders have not been independently established in the report, while WAEC has not publicly responded in detail to the specific claims.
The controversy is likely to heighten calls for greater transparency over the conduct of the 2026 WASSCE, the processing of results and the transition to computer-based examinations.
For students, parents and schools awaiting clarity, the central issue remains the credibility and accuracy of the 2026 WAEC results and whether any candidates were adversely affected by technical or administrative problems.
