JAMB Responds to Peter: “It’s Not 6 AM” — Here’s What Really Happened!

Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), has criticized the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the timing of its exams, but the board has responded.

According to Naija News, Obi had expressed dissatisfaction with JAMB’s scheduling, claiming that the board was pressuring young applicants to travel vast distances and during hazardous times in order to take tests, a practice he claimed had resulted in sad events like accidents and disappearances. Noting that Nigeria’s access to higher education is significantly restricted in comparison to nations like Indonesia, he advocated for immediate reforms and described the situation as indicative of Nigeria’s larger systemic failings in education.

On Sunday, Obi posted on his 𝕏 account, saying

“It is careless to provide tests to susceptible kids as early as 6:00 AM and to transport them to distant places. Our youth’s quest for knowledge shouldn’t put them in danger. As a country, we have to perform better.

But in a direct response to Obi, JAMB made it clear that, contrary to what was said, its exams do not begin at 6:00 am. The board clarified that in order to guarantee a seamless and organized start, candidates are urged to attend early, at approximately 6:30 am, for verification and clearance procedures. The real exam sessions commence at 8:00 am.

According to JAMB’s 𝕏 account

“Your Excellency, @PeterObi, I have to state that our exam is supposed to start at 8:00 am, not 6:00 am. Candidates must be given enough time to get settled before the exam starts, even though verification and other clearance procedures start at 6:30am.

The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is presently being administered nationwide by JAMB.