Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has insisted that Nigerian students should not bear the burden of institutional shortcomings.

obi made the remarks in a statement shared on his verified X account on Monday, the 23rd of February, 2026, while responding to complaints about the difficulties candidates are experiencing at registration centres nationwide.

He specifically highlighted the situation at the Amawbia office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board {JAMB}in Anambra State, where several Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres were recently shut down over alleged violations. According to him, the action has led to congestion and disarray at the state office.

He said, “The expectation was that corrective measures would follow.

Sadly, as I passed there again last Friday, I met the same crowd and confusion. Upon further inquiry, I was informed that similar situations exist in some other states across Nigeria.

“While authorities may have valid reasons for sanctioning centres, a more balanced and humane approach is possible.

“Centres under investigation could be allowed to continue offering limited services under strict monitoring to prevent further lapses.

“If it is difficult to approve new centres quickly, the authorities could still make temporary use of previously approved centres under close supervision to ease the pressure on state offices.

“With registration ending on the 26th, the consequences are serious. Many candidates travel from distant villages, some even sleeping in Awka to secure access. If nothing urgent is done, some will miss the examination not for lack of preparation, but because the system failed them.

“Students cannot be made to suffer the failings of a system to which we have all, in one way or another contributed.

“What is required now is not blame, but swift and compassionate intervention to ensure that no young person’s future is jeopardised by avoidable administrative bottlenecks.”

Students Must Not Pay For System Failures — Obi

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