The House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions will hear a petition against the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s underage admission policy on 19th February 2026.
The Committee’s Secretariat communicated the hearing date to the petitioners’ legal representative, Vincent Adebayo Àdòdó, via electronic notice.
A coalition known as Movement against JAMB Injustice 2025, made up of parents, students, and other concerned parties, submitted the petition. The group is contesting JAMB’s decision to deny admission to candidates who had not reached 16 years of age by 31st August 2025, even though they successfully wrote and passed the 2025 UTME.
The petition, dated 23rd September 2025 and directed to the Chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions, was filed through counsel Vincent Adodo. It argues that JAMB’s enforcement of the age policy breaches existing court rulings and constitutional guarantees.
The petitioners 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.” They further contended 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.”
In seeking redress, the movement stated that “among other prayers, the movement in its Petition prays the House of Representatives to direct JAMB to lift the age restriction for all qualified candidates who passed the UTME in 2025, restore the admission of all candidates whose admission has been withdrawn or suspended based on the policy.”
The group raised wider governance issues, stating that “this Petition and the events surrounding it again highlight the growing trend of institutional impunity among Nigerian government agencies who, especially in recent years, normalised the attitude of disobedience to court judgments and acts suggesting that they lack respect for the rule of law.”
Highlighting the human cost of the policy, the petitioners noted that “this particular case is important given that it touches on the lives of thousands of children who are forced to remain at home doing nothing despite having met all qualifications to gain admission into the tertiary institutions and make meaningful use of their time.”
The movement concluded by stating that “the fate of these children will ultimately depend on the proactiveness of the House of Representatives in handling this petition.”
Last Updated on February 11, 2026 by Ola Funmilayo
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