WAEC Results Under Scrutiny as Official Raises Alarm Over Glitches

Fresh concerns have emerged over the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results after a senior West African Examinations Council official alleged that technical problems and irregularities affected some candidates.

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The concerns were raised by Olanrewaju Fadehan, an official overseeing examinations in the WAEC office covering Anambra State.

In a video circulating online, Fadehan alleged that candidates who took the computer-based version of the examination were particularly affected.

He questioned the delay in releasing the results, saying WAEC had initially expected the results to be published between August 3 and 5 but that last-minute adjustments were reportedly made before publication.

According to the official, some of the alleged problems affected subjects including Mathematics, English Language and Igbo.

He also raised questions about the performance of candidates in Igbo, particularly students from the South-East.

Another concern centred on schools that invested heavily in preparation for the transition to computer-based examinations.

Fadehan claimed that some schools spent more than N60 million establishing facilities for the new examination format and could therefore be significantly affected if technical problems compromised candidates’ results.

He also alleged that some candidates did not have access to suitable calculators during examinations involving calculations.

The official said he had previously raised concerns about what he described as irregularities and had taken the complaints to several authorities, including the WAEC Board, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examining Bodies and the Minister of Education.

He further alleged that he faced disciplinary measures after raising the concerns.

Fadehan called for an investigation into the allegations, particularly the performance of candidates who sat the computer-based examination.

However, WAEC has not publicly confirmed the allegations.

The council’s Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, reportedly declined to comment when contacted, saying there was no comment for now.

The controversy comes at a sensitive time for thousands of secondary school leavers who depend on their WAEC results for admission into universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions.

The credibility of examination results is therefore critical because even a technical error can have serious consequences for students competing for limited admission opportunities.

WAEC faced technical difficulties following the release of its 2025 results and subsequently acknowledged problems with its results portal before making corrections.

The latest allegations have therefore renewed calls for transparency and careful review of the 2026 results.

For affected students and parents, the immediate concern is whether the reported problems influenced individual results.

Until WAEC provides a detailed response, the allegations remain claims that require verification.

But the controversy has once again highlighted the importance of ensuring that the country’s transition to computer-based examinations is supported by reliable technology, adequate infrastructure and rigorous quality-control systems.