Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the writing of West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, in an unfit condition is a national disgrace.
There have been reports of students sitting the examination in the night using torchlight.
Atiku gave the condemnation in a statement he personally signed and issued on Thursday.
He said it was unfortunate that the incident persisted, a day after Children’s Day.
“This is not merely an unfortunate incident — it is a damning indictment of our systemic failure to uphold the most basic standards in public education. It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch darkness like second-class citizens.
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“This incident must awaken our national conscience. It must compel immediate and sustained investment in critical social infrastructure, with education as the foremost priority — not in rhetoric but in tangible action,” he said.
Former Vice President Atiku demanded a retake of the paper in all compromised centres.
His words: “I therefore demand, unequivocally, that the affected examination paper be retaken in all compromised centres. Anything less would be a grave injustice to the students whose futures hang in the balance.”
He posited that examination preparedness was a shared responsibility between students and the examination authorities.
As a result, he said, it was glaringly evident that the latter had failed spectacularly in their duty.
He argued that it would be utterly unjust to allow students to suffer the consequences of such gross institutional negligence.
“Going forward, it is imperative that relevant authorities establish and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for all high-stakes national examinations. We must never allow such a shameful scenario to repeat itself — not under our watch,” Atiku warned.
