WAEC defends 2026 WASSCE results amid social media criticism

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has defended the credibility of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results following criticisms on social media.

The examination body, in a statement issued on Thursday, said it had observed a “recent wave of public commentary”, particularly from content creators and social media commentators, questioning the credibility of the results.

The statement was signed by Moyosola Adesina, Head of Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria, on behalf of the Head of the National Office, Amos Dangut.

WAEC said it “welcomes constructive scrutiny” but urged members of the public to disregard unverified claims and use its official channels to raise concerns about their results.

Social media concerns

While the examination body did not specify the content of the claims it was responding to, there were widespread claims of glitches in the 2026 WASSCE results following their release on 5 August.

On X, a user, @winexviv, whose post generated more than 200,000 views, alleged a “disastrous glitch” in the newly released results, particularly affecting candidates who took the computer-based examination.

He wrote: “WAEC, you can’t toy with our children’s destinies. We will not allow it. The results need to be withdrawn immediately and fixed, or we will challenge you in court.”

The post attracted comments from other users who expressed similar concerns, and it was widely shared by blogs, leading to wider discussions about the credibility of the results.

WAEC, however, said the results were produced through the same marking, moderation and auditing procedures that have guided its examinations over the years.

The council said the 2026 WASSCE was conducted in accordance with its standard operating procedures and relevant educational policies, in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education.

WAEC defends marking process

In its latest statement, WAEC said every candidate’s script undergoes a multi-tiered system of marking, moderation and auditing.

The council said the process is guided by standardised marking schemes and supervised by vetted subject experts to ensure objective and fair scoring.

It also said it maintains procedures for candidates and other members of the public to submit queries or grievances through its offices nationwide and its verified online platforms.

“WAEC hereby reiterates its unwavering commitment to preserving the integrity of its assessment processes and safeguarding the interests of every candidate,” the council said.

2026 WASSCE results

WAEC released the results of the examination on 5 August, with its Head of National Office, Amos Dangut, announcing the outcome at a press briefing in Lagos.

According to the council, 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.

A total of 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

Of those who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, 558,883 candidates, representing 28.65 per cent, were male, while 641,631, representing 32.89 per cent, were female.

The examination was conducted between 24 April and 19 June. WAEC said 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination, while 1,950,726 eventually sat for it.

Results still being processed.

WAEC said the results of 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent of those who sat the examination, had been fully processed and released.

The results of 116,031 candidates, representing 5.95 per cent, were still being processed due to issues the council said were being resolved.

Mr Dangut said efforts were underway to complete the process and release the results of the affected candidates.

The council also withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of the total candidates, over alleged examination malpractice.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: WAEC releases 2026 WASSCE results, records 61.54% pass rate

The figure was lower than the 9.7 per cent recorded in the 2025 examination, according to WAEC.

Mr Dangut attributed many of the malpractice cases to the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools.

He said the cases were being investigated and would be presented to the appropriate council committee for consideration and a final decision.

He added that affected candidates would be informed of the decisions through their schools and could seek redress through WAEC’s malpractice complaints platform.