Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The West African Examinations Council has mounted a vigorous defence of the integrity of its 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results, even as a legal storm gathers over allegations of technical glitches and scoring irregularities in the computer‑based version of the exam. In a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, the examination body dismissed what it described as a wave of “unverified” social media claims and insisted that the results were produced through rigorous quality‑assurance processes that have guided its operations for decades.
WAEC said it had observed a surge of comments from content creators and online commentators questioning the credibility and accuracy of the results, which were released on August 5. Moyosola Adesina, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, urged candidates, parents and members of the public to disregard the speculation and to use the council’s established channels for any genuine grievances. “The WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026, was conducted strictly in line with WAEC’s established standard operational procedures and in keeping with relevant educational policies in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education,” the statement read.
The council explained that every candidate’s script undergoes a multi‑tiered process of marking, moderation and auditing, guided by standardised marking schemes and supervised by vetted subject experts. It also reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the integrity of its assessment process and protecting the interests of all candidates who sat for the examination. WAEC acknowledged that anxiety over results was understandable, particularly for students hoping to proceed to higher education, but cautioned against accepting unverified claims circulating online.
The defence comes barely a day after the Initiative for School Excellence and Education Foundation, through its legal counsel Zuriel Law Practice, served WAEC with a formal pre‑action notice demanding the preservation and disclosure of all electronic records related to the 2026 Computer‑Based WASSCE. The foundation gave the examination body 14 days to respond to its demands or face litigation. The group said it had received complaints from a “substantial number” of candidates who raised concerns about the accuracy, reliability and verifiability of their results. According to the foundation, the grievances relate to the operation of the computer‑based environment, the recording and processing of candidates’ responses, scoring and result generation, and the absence of an effective mechanism for candidates to independently verify how their scores were calculated.
The foundation stressed that it was not alleging that every result released by WAEC was erroneous, but argued that the volume and nature of the complaints warranted an objective verification of the examination and result‑processing system. It demanded that WAEC preserve candidate response databases, examination‑session records, system audit trails, server and application logs, scoring databases, result‑generation records, system‑error reports and backups. It also requested that candidates be granted access to their electronic examination records, including the questions presented, recorded responses, answer changes, raw scores, grading methodology and records of any technical interruptions that could have affected their performance.
Education advocate and Chief Executive Officer of Educare, Alex Onyia, who disclosed the legal action on his X handle on Friday, accused WAEC of refusing to publicly acknowledge widespread issues with the results. “There appears to be a serious problem with the recently released results that WAEC has so far refused to publicly acknowledge and address,” he said. “Real students are affected. Their admissions, opportunities and futures are at stake. If there is a glitch, admit it. Investigate it transparently. Fix it.”
The foundation also cited WAEC’s previous admission of technical and operational glitches in an earlier examination cycle, and argued that the council’s assurances that corrective measures had been introduced for 2026 made it necessary for the examination body to demonstrate that those safeguards operated effectively. The group further referenced the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, arguing that candidates have rights to access their personal data and safeguards concerning decisions made solely through automated processing. It proposed an independent audit by education and IT experts to test whether the CB‑WASSCE platform and result‑processing system worked accurately, and warned that failure to establish a transparent review mechanism within the 14‑day window would result in formal court proceedings.
WAEC’s defence of its results comes amid a broader context of concern over the integrity of the 2026 WASSCE. The council had earlier withheld the results of 167,486 candidates for examination malpractice, representing 8.59 per cent of the total candidates. A total of 1,950,726 candidates sat for the examination, while 1,200,514 candidates secured credits in at least five subjects, including English and Mathematics, representing 61.54 per cent of all candidates. The results of 116,031 candidates, representing 5.95 per cent, were still being processed due to unresolved issues, including those sponsored by indebted state governments.
The looming legal battle over the 2026 CB‑WASSCE results threatens to undermine public confidence in one of Nigeria’s most important national examinations. For thousands of candidates whose academic futures hang in the balance, the outcome of the dispute could determine whether they gain admission to universities or are forced to repeat a year. WAEC has urged concerned candidates and parents to contact its offices and verified communication platforms instead of relying on social media speculation. But with a 14‑day ultimatum ticking, and a growing chorus of complaints from candidates and education advocates, the examination body may soon have to defend its processes not just in the court of public opinion, but in a court of law.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments