By Ibrahim Babangida Lawal
Selective Justice Undermines Equity in 2025 UTME Re-Examination
When the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced a re-examination for UTME candidates in Lagos and the South East due to technical glitches and irregularities, it was rightly applauded. This move signaled that the board was willing to take responsibility for administrative failures and give students a fair second chance.
But as commendable as this step is, it raises a serious question: What about the rest of the country?
“If fairness is the goal, then it must cut across every region. Anything less is selective justice.”
— Ibrahim Babangida Lawal
Across many Northern states—Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, to name a few—candidates faced similar setbacks: unstable electricity, poor internet connectivity, even overcrowded and poorly managed centres. The difference? These students have not been offered a chance to retake their exams.
This glaring disparity must be addressed.
Equity Is Not a Southern Privilege
Let’s not pretend these challenges were limited to a few southern cities. The 2025 UTME was marred by widespread logistical and infrastructural problems. Northern candidates were not spared.
JAMB’s current position, whether intentional or not, risks sending a troubling message—that fairness is location-dependent. That students in some regions are more deserving of remediation than others.
This is not just unjust; it is damaging.
We cannot afford to create the impression that Northern candidates must endure what others are rescued from.
Justice Must Be Consistent to Be Just
By allowing re-sits for some, JAMB has established a moral and operational precedent. But a precedent, to be meaningful, must be universally applied. Anything less undermines its own intent.
To ignore similar complaints from other regions—particularly the North—is to create tiers of fairness. And once fairness becomes tiered, it ceases to be fair.
What JAMB has started is noble. But if it ends here, it becomes lopsided.
Moving Forward: A National Response to a National Problem
This is a call, not for special treatment, but for equal treatment. The Arewa Unity Forum, and indeed concerned stakeholders nationwide, are simply asking that all affected students be treated with the same measure of compassion and corrective justice.
Let JAMB widen the umbrella of fairness. Let every student—whether in Enugu or Kebbi—know that their future matters equally.
That is how trust is built. That is how equity is restored. That is how a nation moves forward—united, not divided by geography.
About the Author
Ibrahim Babangida Lawal is the Public Relations Officer of the Arewa Unity Forum, FCT. He advocates for fairness, inclusivity, and equitable policies in national education and governance.
