The controversy surrounding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results has intensified after a senior official of the West African Examinations Council raised allegations of technical glitches and irregularities in the processing and release of some candidates’ results.
Olanrewaju Fadehan, identified as the Head of Examinations at WAEC’s office covering Anambra State, made the claims in a video that has circulated widely online. He alleged that candidates who took the computer-based version of the examination were particularly affected by problems surrounding the results.
Fadehan said the results were initially expected to be released between August 3 and 5 but that last-minute adjustments were made before publication. He suggested that something had gone wrong during the process and alleged that the adjustments had consequences for some candidates.
Among the subjects he specifically mentioned were Mathematics, English Language and Igbo. He also questioned the performance of some candidates in Igbo, particularly in the South-East, where the language is widely spoken.
The official further alleged that schools which invested heavily in preparing for WAEC's computer-based examination were badly affected. He claimed some schools spent more than ₦60 million establishing facilities for the CBT programme.
Fadehan also raised concerns about the availability of appropriate calculators for some candidates, arguing that problems surrounding examination materials could have affected performance in subjects requiring calculations.
He said he had previously raised concerns with 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 action after raising the issues and called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the circumstances surrounding the results.
The allegations are significant because they come after weeks of complaints from some school administrators and education stakeholders who have questioned the unexpectedly poor performance of certain candidates in the 2026 examination.
Some educators have pointed to apparent differences between students' performance in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and their WAEC results, while others have raised concerns about the transition to computer-based testing and the technical challenges associated with it.
One school administrator previously told reporters that some students who had recorded strong results in other examinations received grades in core WAEC subjects that the school considered unusually low. The administrator joined calls for the examination body to review the affected results.
There have also been calls for greater transparency around how results from different examination formats and paper versions are standardised.
However, the allegations should not be treated as proof that the 2026 WAEC results are inaccurate. The claims made by Fadehan remain allegations and would need to be independently investigated and supported by evidence.
WAEC has previously defended the integrity of the 2026 results, saying they were produced through established quality-assurance procedures.
The examination body said every candidate's script goes through multiple stages of marking, moderation and auditing, with standardised marking schemes and subject experts involved in the process. WAEC also urged candidates, parents and schools to avoid relying on unverified claims circulating on social media.
When contacted specifically about Fadehan's latest allegations, WAEC's Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, reportedly declined to comment, saying there was no comment for the time being.
The development leaves students and parents facing renewed uncertainty, particularly those whose admission plans depend on their WAEC results.
For candidates who believe their results do not accurately reflect their performance, the issue is more than a debate over examination statistics. WAEC grades can determine whether students meet admission requirements for universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions.
This has increased pressure on the examination body to provide clear explanations where credible complaints are formally submitted.
The controversy also highlights the challenges that can accompany major changes in examination technology. Moving from predominantly paper-based examinations to computer-based testing requires reliable infrastructure, adequate technical support and effective procedures for recording, processing and auditing candidates' responses.
Any confirmed technical problem affecting examination results could therefore have consequences extending beyond individual candidates and raise wider questions about the reliability of the new system.
At the same time, claims of irregularities must be carefully separated from established facts. Poor results alone do not necessarily demonstrate a technical failure, just as strong performance in another examination does not automatically establish what a candidate should have scored in WAEC.
What is now needed is a transparent process through which specific complaints can be examined, relevant electronic records can be preserved and any genuine discrepancies can be identified and corrected.
Calls have already emerged for an independent review of the affected results, including examination data and the processes used to standardise scores. Such a review could help determine whether the concerns are isolated cases or evidence of a wider technical or procedural problem.
The controversy is also a reminder of the importance of protecting students from the consequences of administrative errors. Candidates should not bear the cost of any confirmed technical or procedural failure in an examination system they have no control over.
For now, WAEC has maintained its position that the results were produced through established procedures, while the latest allegations from one of its officials have added a new dimension to the controversy.
The credibility of the 2026 WASSCE results will ultimately depend on whether the concerns raised can be properly investigated and whether WAEC can provide convincing answers to candidates, parents, schools and other stakeholders.
Until that happens, allegations of glitches and irregularities should remain clearly identified as allegations rather than established findings.
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