WAEC Defends 2026 WASSCE Results Amid Criticism

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has defended the 2026 WASSCE results, rejecting claims that examination papers were leaked or that technical problems affected the credibility of the results.

Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC’s National Office in Nigeria, made the clarification on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during a monthly dialogue organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN).

According to Dangut, no question paper was leaked before any of the 2026 WASSCE examinations were conducted. He said the council had introduced stronger measures, including computer-based testing, randomisation and serialisation of examination papers, to reduce malpractice.

Dangut said the measures had made it more difficult for individuals involved in examination fraud to operate, suggesting that some of the criticism surrounding the results was connected to resistance against the new system. TheCable reported the remarks following the EWAN dialogue. citeturn0news2

The controversy followed the release of the 2026 WASSCE results on August 5. WAEC reported that 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination, obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. citeturn0search7turn0news23

The performance figure generated discussion on social media, with some commentators questioning whether technical problems and the transition to computer-based examinations had affected candidates’ scores.

WAEC had previously rejected such claims. In a statement issued in August, the examination body said the results were produced through established marking, moderation and auditing procedures.

The council also said every candidate’s script goes through multiple levels of assessment using standardised marking schemes and subject specialists. It urged candidates, parents and members of the public to rely on official channels when seeking clarification rather than unverified social media claims. citeturn0search14turn0search20

The 2026 examination also recorded significant disruptions before and during the exercise. Dangut said late registration, protests and insecurity affected some aspects of the examination, including situations where supervisors reportedly stopped work, causing delays for some schools. citeturn0news12

WAEC has maintained that these challenges did not compromise the integrity of the examination or the accuracy of the results.

The council withheld 167,486 candidates’ results over alleged examination malpractice, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. Such results remain subject to investigation under WAEC’s established procedures. citeturn0news27

WAEC’s latest clarification is aimed at addressing concerns over the WAEC 2026 WASSCE results while encouraging candidates and stakeholders to use the council’s official channels for genuine complaints or result-related enquiries.

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