The National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to abandon his plans to seek re-election in 2027, urging him instead to devote the remainder of his tenure to restructuring Nigeria and laying the foundation for a new constitutional order. In a communiqué issued after its July 2026 meeting, and signed by Samuel Danjuma Gani the Forum said the Tinubu administration has failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations in critical areas, particularly security, economic management and public welfare.
The Christian elders argued that the administration has not fulfilled its constitutional responsibility under Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which identifies the security and welfare of citizens as the primary purpose of government. According to the Forum, the country’s current trajectory has generated growing anxiety rather than confidence, making it imperative for the President to reconsider his political future. Rather than pursuing a second term, the group urged Tinubu to focus on reforms that would strengthen national unity, restructure the federation and facilitate the emergence of a new constitution capable of addressing Nigeria’s long-standing governance challenges. The NCEF also renewed its opposition to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, describing it as insensitive to Nigeria’s religious diversity and the prevailing security situation. It maintained that the decision has continued to fuel concerns about inclusiveness and national cohesion, particularly among Christian communities affected by violence and insecurity. Beyond the presidency, the Forum called on ethnic nationalities, socio-cultural organisations and civil society groups to intensify efforts toward the adoption of a new constitution before the 2027 general elections. The elders further urged the judiciary to remain impartial in resolving electoral disputes and cautioned against actions that could undermine public confidence in the democratic process. They also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to uphold its independence by conducting elections that are free, fair and credible. While noting that the principle of North-South power rotation is not expressly provided for in the Constitution, the Forum argued that it has helped promote equity, inclusion and political stability. It therefore appealed to Nigerians to support the continuation of power in the South in 2027 to complete what it described as the region’s remaining four-year tenure.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has delivered one of his strongest public criticisms of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing his decision to choose him as running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his presidency.
Obasanjo made the remark on Friday during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the public presentation of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, in Lagos.
Reflecting on his years in office, the former president said that while every leader makes mistakes, selecting Atiku as his deputy remains the one decision he most regrets.
According to Obasanjo, the knowledge he later acquired about Atiku would have completely changed his choice.
“The man I picked as my running mate, my number two. If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him,” he said.
When Charly Boy asked if he was referring to Atiku, Obasanjo responded without hesitation: “My vice president. I don’t know what name you want to give him, but my vice president, I mean that.”
Despite the scathing assessment, Obasanjo insisted he harbours no personal bitterness toward his former deputy, saying both men acted according to their convictions and that God ensured his administration remained focused on Nigeria’s development.
“There’s no bitterness because he did what he believed he should do, and God did what God had to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve,” he added.
A political support group backing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar 2027 presidential bid, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of systematically dismantling the political structure established during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that the move has alienated key Northern political stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued on Friday by Bashir Kwama, under the banner of the “Atiku Is For The People” movement, the group claimed that since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu has steadily replaced associates of Buhari with individuals considered to be his loyalists.
According to the group, several prominent members of the former administration have either exited government, failed to secure appointments in the current administration, or become subjects of investigations and legal proceedings. It cited former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Information Minister Lai Mohammed, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, former Labour Minister Chris Ngige, former Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari and former Petroleum Minister Timipre Sylva among those it described as key figures no longer at the centre of government.
The group argued that the developments represent a deliberate shift away from the political coalition that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to power in 2015 and sustained it through the 2019 elections.
It further alleged that many Northern political stakeholders now feel sidelined under the Tinubu administration, claiming that the government is increasingly driven by a new circle of political allies and technocrats.
The pro-Atiku movement also claimed that political consultations are gathering momentum across parts of Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with growing interest in supporting Atiku Abubakar, whom it described as offering solutions to the country’s security and economic challenges.
The statement concluded by asserting that while President Tinubu is entitled to reshape his administration, voters are equally entitled to express their verdict at the ballot box in 2027.
Just smarting from the deafening controversy arising from the unfortunate death of Mary Habila, at his Uburu, Ohaozara Local Council of Ebonyi State country home, Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, on Friday, insisted that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should abandon his ambition, and rather queue behind President Bola Tinubu.
Umahi characteristically remained adamant that the former Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate may be on another wild goose chase as the South East region votes alone can not make him president.
On an inspection tour of the Ebonyi State section of the Cross River/Abuja Super Highway, the Minister emphasized that Obi, no matter what he thinks, needs the support of other regions to become the president of Nigeria.
This is as he urged South Easterners, including political leaders, to quickly subscribe to what he described as “strategic politics” which demands that the region aligns with others for the purpose of maximizing benefits.
According to him, the South East, as one and indivisible political bloc alone, cannot determine who occupies the presidency.
Umahi appealed to the region’s leaders, stakeholders and electorate not to waste their votes in 2027, but to strategically align with President Tinubu so as to sustain the tempo of the ongoing infrastructural development in South East.
“Our brother, Peter Obi, is contesting for the presidency of the entire country, not the presidency of the South East .
“The votes of the South East alone cannot produce a president. We must be strategic. We should not insult people because they hold contrary opinions” he admonished.
The Works Minister insisted that the South East should show appreciation for the unprecedented federal presence being enjoyed under the present Federal Government , noting that this is the first time, in many years, that the region is witnessing massive infrastructural facilities, including roads.
Umahi is of the firm belief that the president Tinubu-led administration has been more than fair to, and accommodating of, the South East region in terms of the siting of visible development projects.
He maintained that both completed and ongoing projects have served to stimulate meaningful economic activities and engender growth and development.
The Minister claimed that several thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities have been created in the region due to ongoing massive development projects .
Umahi who stoutly defended the Federal Government’s much criticized borrowing culture insisted that the funds are being used to drive infrastructural development that will serve future generations.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has described the abduction of the Orirre School children as one of the darkest moments in both the history of Oyo State and that of his almost eight-year old administration.
This is as he insisted that his call for an independent and international inquest into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident was not borne out of the desire to undermine the operations of Nigeria security agencies ,but to establish some basic facts about the abduction.
Governor Makinde who spoke on Friday July 31, 2026, on the occasion of the formal inauguration of a probe panel into the school children kidnap said he is desirous of conclusively establishing the actual circumstances surrounding the abduction of the about 39 school children and their seven teachers.
The Source reports that the Governor’s call for the United Nations to launch an investigation into the kidnap saga which occurred on May 15 ,2026, had triggered mixed reactions with the All Progressive Congress APC-led Federal Government accusing him of undermining both the integrity of the Nigeria and its security agencies.
However, speaking at the inauguration of the panel of Inquiry which held at the Executive Chamber of the Oyo Government House , Governor Makinde emphasized that the probe is primarily aimed at resolving some unanswered questions about the school children kidnap.
According to him, while the efforts of security agencies in securing the release of the victims are appreciated, the Governor insisted that their freedom and that of their teachers should not stop the efforts to establish conclusively what actually happened for the purpose of preventing a similar occurrence in the future.
“My call for an independent international examination of the incident was not intended to undermine the efforts of Nigeria’s security agencies whose sacrifices we acknowledge and appreciate.
“The objective was to ensure that every lesson from this unfortunate incident is learnt ,and every question deserving an answer receives one”, Makinde stated.
He maintained that the attack represents a very dark moment in the history of the State, describing it as not only targeted at the affected communities, but also an assault on the children’s right to and quest for education in a conducive environment.
He expressed the confidence that the probe panel will get to the root of the abduction saga, noting that the move represents his administration’s unflinching commitment to uncovering the truth, identifying institutional or operational shortcomings, as well as making recommendations on how to adequately protect schools and communities across the state.
“Rescue brings relief ,but truth brings closure. Accountability and reform restore public confidence and help prevent a recurrence.
:Justice is not only about punishing wrongdoing; it is about learning enough to ensure that the innocent are never again placed in harm’s way”, Makinde noted.
The Panel which has a retired Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Mojid Adekunle as Chairman, has four weeks to conclude and submit its findings.
The Governor, however, assured that the timeframe could be reviewed upward should the need arises .
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe hss clarified that the Federal Government has not removed the subsidy on electricity in Nigeria, contrary to public speculation.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Friday, Tegbe declared“I did not say the subsidy is gone. We are addressing the issue, and by next year we will begin implementing measures to resolve it.”
Tegbe explained that improving electricity generation alone will not resolve the nation’s power challenges, stressing that reforms must address the entire electricity value chain to deliver reliable supply.
He stated that electricity must be generated, transmitted, distributed, and paid for efficiently for Nigerians to enjoy stable and sustainable power supply.
The Minister revealed that the federal government’s “Resetting the Sector” initiative was designed to strengthen the electricity value chain, improve service delivery, restore investor confidence and make the market financially sustainable.
According to him, the reform programme will include a nationwide technical audit of the transmission network to identify ageing infrastructure, overloaded substations, weak transmission corridors and other operational bottlenecks.
He added that the ministry would work with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and state electricity regulators to harmonise electricity regulation, eliminate regulatory overlaps and provide greater certainty for investors.
Tegbe assured that government remained committed to improving power supply, accelerating metering, strengthening the national grid and maintaining current electricity tariffs.
“Our goal is simple: make electricity more available, make the grid more reliable, make the market financially sustainable and ensure power becomes a driver of economic growth rather than a constraint.”
The minister disclosed that procurement challenges that previously slowed meter deployment had largely been resolved, paving the way for faster installation of prepaid meters nationwide.
Tegbe added that Nigeria had consistently generated about 5,000 megawatts of electricity over the past two weeks due to improved coordination among market operators and increased availability of power plants.
According to him, the government is advancing the Power Sector Bond Initiative to clear legacy debts owed to generation companies, gas suppliers and other market participants, a move he described as critical to restoring liquidity and investor confidence.
Tegbe said strategic investments under the Grid Stabilisation Programme would target key transmission corridors in Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, while the proposed Super Grid Programme would strengthen the national transmission backbone, improve grid resilience and support industrialisatiaon.
The minister also highlighted the increasing adoption of renewable energy, noting that many factories, offices and commercial facilities now generate more electricity than they consume through solar installations.
Tegbe, therefore, assured Nigerians that vulnerable consumers would continue to enjoy government support as reforms progressed, while solar energy would remain central to expanding electricity access in rural and underserved communities.
Tegbe further disclosed that the government had reconciled outstanding debts owed to power generation companies, reducing disputed claims from about N6 trillion to an agreed N3.3 trillion as of March 2025.
He said N501.3 billion had already been paid, while another N700 billion was being processed, bringing total payments to about N1.2 trillion.
Tegbe expressed optimism that Nigerians would begin to experience noticeable improvements in electricity supply within the next few months, while a more stable and resilient national grid would emerge over the next two to three years.
He urged electricity market operators, investors, development partners, state governments, organised labour, consumer groups, and the media to support the federal government’s reform agenda aimed at delivering stable, affordable and sustainable electricity nationwide.
Indigenes of Delta state that returned from South Africa following the recent xenophobic attacks, have cause to smile. The state government has doled out a ₦2 million grant for each affected family to support their reintegration.
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who announced this on Friday approved a comprehensive welfare package with each individual returnee receiving a monthly welfare stipend of ₦200,000, while every affected family will receive ₦300,000 monthly, effective from August 2026 until the end of the governor’s tenure on May 29, 2027.
Speaking during the reception of the returnees at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori, represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Johnson Erijo, condemned the xenophobic attacks, describing them as a gross violation of human dignity.
He said no individual should be subjected to violence, intimidation or discrimination on account of nationality and expressed sympathy with the victims over the physical, emotional and financial losses they suffered.
The governor also commended President Bola Tinubu for his prompt intervention, which he said facilitated the safe evacuation of the affected Nigerians from South Africa.
As part of measures to cushion the effects of their ordeal, Oborevwori announced that the state government would provide free medical screening for all returnees at government-owned health facilities.
He also directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Services to provide trauma counselling and psychosocial support for the victims and their families.
Urging Deltans to receive the returnees with compassion, solidarity and kindness, the governor said such values reflected the true Delta spirit, assuring the victims that the unfortunate experience would not define their future.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating opportunities for all citizens while calling for sustained protection of the rights and dignity of Nigerians living abroad.
Earlier, the Commissioner in charge of the Bureau for Special Duties, Hon. Ejiro Etacherure, assured the returnees of the state government’s commitment to helping them rebuild their lives, describing their safe return as a testament to compassionate leadership and effective collaboration between the federal and state governments.
He recalled that the reports of the attacks, which claimed lives, destroyed property and livelihoods and left many victims traumatised, were received with deep shock and sadness.
Etacherure thanked God for preserving the lives of the victims and commended Governor Oborevwori for his swift intervention and unwavering commitment to the welfare of the returnees.
He disclosed that the governor personally directed that every returning Deltan be properly identified, documented and received with dignity, while relevant agencies were mandated to provide the assistance required for their reintegration into society.
Welcoming them home, Etacherure encouraged the returnees to take advantage of the numerous economic and empowerment opportunities available in the state, expressing confidence that Delta remained a land of opportunities under Governor Oborevwori’s administration.
Responding on behalf of the returnees, Mr. Jacob Agbada expressed profound appreciation to Governor Oborevwori for approving the ₦2 million grant and the monthly stipend, describing the gesture as timely and life-changing.
He said they were deeply grateful to the governor for his compassion, generosity and unwavering support during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
The traipsing horde of marabouts represent a mortal paradox. They are his beginning and they are about to be his end. They are like the stubborn flies that are lowered along with the casket.
If Khalifa Atiku Abubakar’s life has run like a fairytale, the political aspect of the last four decades or so, has been an Arabian serenade.
The boy from rustic Jada, around the Adamawa-Cameroon borders, providence must have made him for the sole purpose of leading his people. Imbued with innate qualities from the onset, he has continued to direct the affairs of his people at every level of his life.
Leadership therefore comes to him as a divine entitlement and not a ceremonial bequeath. Not an endorsement he must crave. Not a turban he must wear.
His gait, his mannerisms and all the appurtenances of a deity, he wears them like babanriga.
ENTER THE MARABOUTS
Of course, royalty is sauce for marabouts. The one cannot do without the other
For many years, the fable has cemented about the Khalifa’s horde of marabouts. They are said to be a permanent part of his existence. They visit from some of the most exotic monasteries.They serenade him ceaselessly, offering prayers and supplications to Allah on his behalf so he doesn’t have to take the trouble to do so, or be troubled at all. They make angelic appearances and ululations to keep his very presence holy and consecrated. Every malevolent adversary to the Khalifa is intercepted at the supernatural levels.
They also whisper to him how he would ultimately lead Nigeria. For about 30 years, this message has been reinforced so much that it has virtually become part of their worship songs.
ATIKU probably listens to no other song or any contrary message.
Steve Osuji
As long as Allah lives, Khalifa will rule Nigeria. Unless of course he declines the diadem.
There are also the urban marabouts like Dele Momodu (and lately, Kenneth Okonkwo.) Momodu is best described as a GBAJUE strategist who operates from five-star hotels. He’s those kinds of rogue consultants who would borrow their clients wristwatch to tell them time and send them a fat invoice.
Therefore, it’s only for a pernicious motive such as described above that a rational and supposedly educated adult like Momodu would insist an Atiku is the best candidate to lead over 200 million Nigerians in this age. To think that Momodu once contested for the same seat he now vows only an octogenarian is deserving of today.
A man visibly incapacitated by age and ailments. Not many serious minded people support this Atiku bid.
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Chairman of ACF recently weighed in thus: “As for my senior brother Alhaji Atiku Abubakar…. I respected his persistence and his decades of experiences running for president. But for 2027, it’s a firm NO from me.
“At his old age, he should have taken a bow after 2023, transitioned into an elder Statesman role, and thrown his weight behind a younger, very competent candidate with a fresh anti-corruption mindset.
“Instead, we see the same recycled playbook, the same alliances of convenience, and the same transactional politics tagged around him.”
HOW ATIKU DERAILED THE ADC GRAND Prix TRAJECTORY
If you believe Allah has already made you president even before the ballot is cast, nothing would make you step down for any opponent, even if the life of the coalition depended on it.
This explains why Atiku dug in when ADC emerged.
It soon became obvious to all that the ticket wasn’t negotiable. It was in his back pocket from day one!
No logic of geography, equity, competence, capacity, age, ail, hailstones and hellfire would permeate Atiku’s head. This was the time long foretold by the shrouded fairies.
ENTER PETER OBI AND THE EASTERN BLOC
Instead of backing down, the wily, old, political fox dug in. He rallied the old guard of Oriental politics. He co-opted them into convincing their star boy, Peter Obi to run with him.
He convinced them that half bread was always better than none. He asked them the last time an Igbo man was in Aso Rock? Never!
Not since Aso Rock was built!
Is there any other route to the Villa than the North? No.
Is there anyone living today who could hitch them a ride to the promised place if not the Khalifa? None.
His gambit worked. On the eve of this year Obi and Igbo grandees made a historic entry into the new coalition.
Momentum welled instantly and ADC suddenly became the cause celebre.
OBIDIENTS kicked – Obi or nothing – and the movement shook to its seams. Khalifa maintained his trademark ice cool!
HOW APC BUBBLE BURST
With Obi seemingly delivered and tucked in the bag, Atiku and his inner Marabouts must have held an elaborate thanksgiving! They had never been wrong, they must have sang through the night. The numbers have added up at last.
But they neglected to cross the T’s and dot the I’s. They got arrogant already.
They foreclosed negotiation; they gave no inches – not to Obi, not to Ndigbo, not to obidients. They foisted an Atiku Show as they began to play down the Obi Mo!
Atiku couldn’t be held down to give an inch or make concrete commitments at least on paper. For the Igbo elders he cajoled to ‘rein in’ Obi, he couldn’t guarantee them an affidavit sealing a one-term of four years. They bought time, they delayed to make the time lapse so that decamping would become impossible.
Atiku began to live in Aso Rock in his head, already, instead of taking Obi to his inner sanctum swear before him as Obasanjo did to him the other day…
THE ASO ROCK IN ATIKU’S HEAD
Atiku’s Arise TV interview last April broke ADC’s camel’s back. His body language was already presidential. He reduced Obi and his movement to merely eastern votes. And Rabiu Kwankwaso as a mere Kano champion. He of course presented as master of the north and the last pan-Nigerian!
That interview gave Atiku away for what he really is: an obdurate and insufferable autocrat. He thought he had captured the ADC and all the men were backed to the wall as all party doors and windows were closing. He was already baring his fangs…
HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
Of course Obi, Kwankwaso and their followers saw through Atiku’s bait, for that’s what it is. Atiku would become a barracuda if he became president. He would run a one-man show. He would stake for two terms and he would frustrate all the coalescing elements out of ADC in less than less than two years to carry through his plan.
ATIKU’S LAST GAMBIT: NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE HISTORY
If Atiku could chase away all his marabouts today, both the spiritual and urban. If he swallows his pride yet, forgoes his ambition and leads his supporters to forge one formidable opposition going into the 2027 presidential election he may still have waged one foot in the door of history.
The grandswell movement would signpost a turning point not only for Nigeria, but represent a glorious finale for Atiku.
His epitaph shall then read: HERE LIES ATIKU ABUBAKAR, THE FATHER OF NEW NIGERIA!
LASTLINE: ANOTHER OFFICER DOWN, WHEN WILL THE NIGERIAN ARMY ACT?
It seems Nigerian army officers are particularly being targeted and cut down with utmost ignominy.
After the rather humiliating incident of the abduction of Maj. Gen Rabe Musa and his wife in Borno last June, one would have thought the Nigerian military would read the riot act.
But a few days ago bandits struck again killing another officer, Col. Abdulsalam Udeh in an ambush as he arrived at his home from work.He resisted abduction and died in the process. His wife and driver were also injured.
Hoodlums used to be in awe of the military. Today, the fight is being carried home to the military officers.
Let the military do a deep soul search. Let them determine and set a deadline to end and indeed, stamp out terror in Nigeria.
The war against terror has lasted for embarrassingly too long. And in all the conversations, there’s no word about resolution or closure. In fact we can’t see any presidential strategy on the table to end the war.
Perhaps the Nigerian military needs to go to Ghana and study why terror is not as prevalent there as in Nigeria.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has sacked Dr. Qrisstuberg Msughter Amua as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, UAST, Ihugh, Benue State.
Amua’s was disclosed by Governor Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Tersoo Kula, in a statement on Thursday.
The statement stated that Dr. Amua was relieved of his duties for administrative reasons.
The reason for his sack was not disclosed in Kula’s statement.
In his place, Professor Leonard Karshima Shilgba was appointed by Alia in acting capacity. The appointment takes immediate effect.
Shilgba, a Professor of mathematics, University administrator, scholar, author, educationist and academic leader, hails from Ushongo Local Government Area of the North-Central state and has had a distinguished academic and administrative career spanning over three decades.
His academics also include advanced postdoctoral research experience.
In 2009, he was awarded a Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO) Fellowship, through which he undertook postdoctoral research in Japan.
His experience in university leadership has also included participation in strategic planning and institutional development at a period of significant transformation in Nigerian higher education.
He also contributed to establishing UAST, Ihugh.
In 2017, Late President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Professor Shilgba as the Chairman of the 9th Governing Board of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), where he served with vision, distinction, and uncompromising disposition.
Congratulating Shilagba on his new appointment, Governor Alia stated: “This is a position of great responsibility, and we trust you will lead with wisdom, integrity and fairness”.
If the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was sick when Professor Ishaq Oloyede was appointed Registrar 10 years ago, it might have been said that even great institutions have their difficult times. That’s not unusual. But JAMB wasn’t sick.
It was dying and becoming so irrelevant that those it was supposed to serve were wishing it dead. JAMB was not just a problem; it had become the problem of gaining admission to higher institutions, with heartbreaking stories of thousands of candidates for whom hard work and good WAEC grades no longer seemed to matter.
Beating the system became the sport, and fraudulent coaches, often assisted by JAMB insiders, established “miracle centres” with large signboards offering hallelujah promises of how to pass your exam without sitting for it. We can smile now, but believe me, it was not a laughing matter.
Centralised national school placement was not always the thing. Before JAMB was created in 1978, universities and other higher institutions conducted their own admissions.But once JAMB was established andadmissions were centralised, schools’ discretion was curtailed.
As the demand for higher education outstripped supply and public and private higher schools proliferated, standards collapsed.The regulator, which was supposed to serve candidates, began to serve itself instead, feeding off the misery of desperate candidates.
It was at this point, wheredesperation met corruption, that Oloyede was appointed JAMB registrar.
The power of one
In an article entitled “JAMB: Dirty Secrets of a Cut-off War,” which I wrote nearly a decade ago, I cited how the broken admission system was only able to cater to the needs of about 25 per cent of largely qualified students who applied yearly, and how registrars and admission officers were worsening the problem by trading in cut-off marks.
As if the problem outside was not serious enough, the problem inside JAMB at the time was even worse. As I wrote in an article last year, one of the biggest dramas in the institution’s 48-year history unfolded two years after he was appointed registrar, following his exceptional record as vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin.
JAMB introduced computerised examinations in 2014, but the system, still in its infancy, was marred by delays, confusion, and scratch-card fraud.
Oloyede ordered an investigation, which found that the place was infested with snakes, including boa constrictors in human form, that had allegedly swallowed millions of naira from scratchcardsales.
Snake-charmer’s den
One Philomina Chieshe, a clerk at JAMB’s Benue State office, “swallowed” N36 million from the sales of scratch cards and told investigators and the court that it was indeed a snake that had mysteriously devoured the money.
Seven yearsafter she was arraigned before Justice Peter Affen at the FCT High Court, Abuja, in 2019, neither Chieshe nor any of the reptiles in the scratch-card hole have been held accountable for the fraud. Apart from swallowing N36 million, which was equivalent to $100,000 at the time, the snakes also appear to have swallowed the court and the prosecutors.
This was the mess Oloyede inherited – a regulatory institution no longer fit for purpose, but never short of scandalous, self-serving ingenuity.
The original idea of JAMB, which, interestingly, was recommended by vice chancellors ofseven federal universities at the time, was to serve as a clearinghouse. Multiple admissions by candidates were creating a problem for the growing number of those seeking admission. While some candidates were offered multiple admissions and ultimately used only one, other qualified candidates were shut out. So, JAMB was a child of necessity.
Band-Aid or what?
As a sworn enemy of centralised systems, which often breed corruption and tyranny, I expressed the view, even in the early days of Oloyede’s tenure,that the system was unreformable.I thought the best we could hope for was a Band-Aid before JAMB finally collapsed under the weight of its corruption.
Prof Ishaq Oloyede
Oloyede’s tenure has proved that occasionally, elephants dance. Over the last 10 years, the board has transformed from a snake-infested wasteland of corruption and mediocrity into one of Nigeria’s most responsive and better-run public institutions. To promote openness, accountability, and inclusiveness,it has expanded the decision-making process to include independent and other professionals to monitor and evaluate the board’s activities, particularly the UTME exam.
A new sheriff
Of course, some problems remain, like the increasing and more sophisticated cases of impersonation and the challenges presented by the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI), parents’ active involvement in examination fraud, and the rising cost of managing examinations, which could be up to four times the present cost of N4 billion, when the Federal Government’s review ofthe allowances and benefits of civil servants takes effect in October.
The new registrar, Professor Olusegun Aina, will find, as he takes over, that sooner than later, JAMB may be heading into a serious financial crisis due to rising operational costs. Unless steps are taken, it could move from a regulator that remitted over N55 billion to the federal treasury – compared to less than N60 million the year before Oloyede took office – to an institution that will struggle to survive financially.
In the months ahead, the examiner will be facing its own test, its own JAMB question, namely: how will it square its finances without raising examination fees?
As Oloyede leaves office, he leaves behind a legacy of transforming one of the most lethargic public institutions into a regulator that combines fairness and transparency, especially using biometric controls, CBT centres, e-PINS, USSD, and other digital payment systems.
Today, JAMB operates as one of Africa’s largest and most centralised university admissions systems, through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which has been recognised for improving efficiency and transparency in admissions.
Looking ahead
His sterling tenure has not completely cured my pessimism about centralising admission, especially in a country like Nigeria, already chafing under the tyranny of many things federal. Yet, Oloyede has demonstrated that where there is a will, it’s possible to find a way and make a difference.
His tenure and the public appreciation of his work, even during very difficult times – notably staff negligence that nearly marred the 2025 UTME exam – show that public service can indeed advance the greater public good. His successor has the unique advantage of building on a firmer foundation; yet, that advantage can quickly become his albatross if he mismanages it.
Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book, Writing for Media and Monetising It.
