The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has debunked rumours circulating on social media that the English Language paper in the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates has been cancelled.
WAEC has described the report as “false and misleading,” clarifying that the examination held on Wednesday, 28 May, remains valid and has not been annulled.
According to the earlier circulated press release dated Friday, 30 May, “the English Language paper written on Wednesday, May 28, in the ongoing WASSCE for school candidates, 2025 has been cancelled, and a new date for the conduct of the examination will be announced soon”.
A statement issued by the council’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, says that the viral press release purportedly dated 30 May, did not emanate from WAEC and should be disregarded.
“The said examination has not been cancelled. Although the source of that information cannot be ascertained yet, the council is certain that the false claim is being peddled by mischief-makers who are bent on bringing the council to disrepute to cause confusion and panic for candidates who sat the examination,” the statement reads.
Mrs Adesina urged the public and all stakeholders to rely solely on the council’s official communication channels including verified social media accounts and accredited media platforms across the country for accurate updates.
Reaffirming its commitment to integrity and excellence, WAEC thanked Nigerians for their trust over the past 73 years and assured continued service to the nation’s educational system.
What went wrong?
On Wednesday, 28 May, chaos erupted across several examination centres in Nigeria as candidates sitting the English Language paper in the ongoing WASSCE were subjected to long, unexpected delays.
Many students were left stranded, with some still writing as late as 11:45 p.m., using torch lights to illuminate their pitch-dark classrooms.
The disruption reportedly stemmed from a leak of the English Language paper, which prompted WAEC to cancel the original questions at the last minute and arrange for a replacement. At some centres in Lagos, Ogun, Bayelsa, Osun and Taraba states among others, the examination dragged into the late-night hours.
The incident triggered outrage among parents, educators, and other stakeholders, with social media awash with claims of malpractice and institutional failure. Some alleged that internal sabotage by underpaid WAEC officials may have been responsible for the leak, while others pointed to a systemic breach of ethical standards within the examination system.
Apology
The Head of National Office, WAEC, Amos Dangut, had apologised for the delayed conduct of English Language examination in some states on 28 May. He explained that it was orchestrated by the need to urgently address the issue of compromised question papers, logistical and socio-cultural issues in the affected states.
“WAEC was inundated by messages that the English question paper had been compromised. We went back to the drawing board to sort it. Unfortunately, another issue happened. We had logistic issues and socio-cultural issues in Taraba, Bayelsa, and Ogun states.
“We tender our apology to Nigerians. I am using this opportunity to say it will not repeat itself,” Mr Dangut pleaded at a virtual dialogue organised by Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN).
