The House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions has scheduled 19 February 2026 for consideration of a petition challenging the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over its policy barring candidates under 16 years from gaining admission despite writing the 2025 UTME examinations.
The Secretariat of the Committee issued an electronic hearing notice to the Petitioners’ Counsel, Vincent Adebayo Àdòdó, confirming the hearing date.
A coalition identified as “Movement against JAMB Injustice 2025,” comprising parents, students, and affected individuals, lodged the petition dated 23 September 2025. The group opposes JAMB’s decision to prevent admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 session for qualified candidates who had not reached 16 years by 31 August 2025, regardless of their exceptional performance in the 2025 UTME examinations.
The movement argued through their counsel that implementing the policy contravenes court judgments and constitutional provisions. They stated that “the action of JAMB in enforcing the policy in disobedience to the judgments of two superior courts of record violates the 1999 Constitution which mandates all authorities and persons to obey the judgments of courts,” and maintained that “the action of JAMB violated the fundamental rights of the petitioners against their right to freedom from discrimination guaranteed by Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.”
The petitioners requested that the House direct JAMB to lift the age restriction for all qualified 2025 UTME candidates and restore withdrawn admissions.
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