Federal High Court Orders OAU and UNILAG to Suspend 2025 Post-UTME Admission Processes
- A Federal High Court in Enugu has ordered Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Lagos to suspend all 2025 Post-UTME admission activities
- The ruling follows a legal challenge by five candidates alleging irregularities in the universities’ assessment processes
- Justice Mabel Segun-Bello directed all parties, including JAMB, to maintain the status quo pending further court proceedings
A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has issued a directive to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, instructing both institutions to suspend all admission activities stemming from their recently concluded 2025 Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME).
Justice Mabel Segun-Bello delivered the ruling on Tuesday, following an ex parte motion filed by five candidates who claimed to represent themselves and “on behalf of all other affected candidates of the 2025 UNILAG and OAU Post-UTME.”
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The applicants, Chibuzor Succes, Zainab Oyeleye, Adedeji Samuel, Monsura Aduragbemi and Bassey Nsikak, are represented by Enugu-based law firm, F.K. Nnadi and Co.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which oversees the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), was also named as a defendant in the suit.
Court ruling on post-UTME admission suspension
In her ruling, Justice Segun-Bello instructed the petitioners to formally notify the respondents, OAU, UNILAG and JAMB, of the court’s decision. She further directed all parties to maintain the status quo regarding the 2025/2026 academic session admission list until the motion on notice is heard and determined.
“Having considered extensively the four prayers of the Applicant, it is important to note that a veritable and triable issue does exist here necessary for both parties to be heard, hence the Applicants are hereby directed to place the Respondents on notice,” the judge stated.
“This court also further directs that parties should maintain status quo with the current state of affairs being preserved relating to the 2025/2026 academic session admission list and all these pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
Candidates challenge post-UTME results
According to a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the candidates sought an interim injunction to prevent the universities from releasing, approving, uploading, or finalising any admission list for the 2025/2026 academic year. They also requested that JAMB be restrained from processing or validating any admission list submitted by the institutions until the case is resolved.
The petitioners further asked the court to grant “an order of status quo directing the respondents to maintain the current state of affairs and suspend all admission processes relating to the 2025/2026 academic session pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice.”
Universities react to admission suspension order
Reacting to the ruling, OAU spokesperson Abiodun Olarewaju confirmed the university’s awareness of the court directive but noted that it had not yet been reviewed due to the public holiday. “After the university deliberates on this issue, we will come out with our own position,” he said during a telephone interview on Wednesday.
Efforts to reach UNILAG’s spokesperson, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, were unsuccessful. Her phone line was unreachable, and a text message inquiry remained unanswered.
Pre-action notice over alleged post-UTME irregularities
Last month, PREMIUM TIMES reported that F.K. Nnadi and Co. had issued pre-action notices to both universities, threatening legal action over alleged irregularities in the Post-UTME assessments. The law firm accused the institutions of awarding unjustifiably low scores to candidates and demanded the release of withheld results.
In the notice dated 11 September, the firm urged the universities to provide access to Post-UTME scripts and answers, either to the students or to an independent third party for verification.
Source: Twitter
Federal high court orders arrest of INEC chairman
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has issued a directive for the arrest of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, citing contempt and disobedience of court orders.
Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi, presiding over the case involving the Action Alliance and INEC, ruled that Professor Yakubu and the electoral body had erred by failing to comply with a previous judgment.
Source: Legit.ng
