OAU rejects ethnic bias claims in admission process

File photo: Obafemi Awolowo University

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has dismissed a petition alleging that its admission process is driven by ethnic hostility, a secret agenda against Yoruba students or a deliberate attempt to compromise academic standards.

A petition signed by Akin Okunowo, which went viral on social media, had accused the university of discrimination, ethnic marginalisation and deliberately abandoning merit in its admission process for the 2025/2026 academic session.

Addressing the agitation, the university’s spokesman, Abiodun Olarewaju, said in a statement on Monday that OAU operates within the framework of national policies, regulatory requirements and admission guidelines established by the Federal Government and the relevant statutory authorities responsible for university education in Nigeria.

Olarewaju said, “The University unequivocally rejects any suggestion that its admission process is driven by ethnic hostility, a secret agenda against Yoruba students or a deliberate attempt to compromise academic standards.

“OAU has nothing to gain from denying admission to qualified candidates arbitrarily; it also does not have any institutional interest in discriminating against Nigerians on ethnic grounds.”

He said the policy framework guiding its admission process was intended to balance academic merit with broader national objectives, just as the Federal Character principle seeks to promote equitable representation in appointments and recruitment into federal institutions and agencies.

He added, “Obafemi Awolowo University is a renowned national institution that welcomes qualified candidates from every part of Nigeria. Its identity, history and enduring reputation are rooted in intellectual rigour, academic distinction and the pursuit of excellence.

“The University’s admission process is conducted within the applicable national regulatory framework. Accordingly, admission into competitive programmes is influenced by several factors, including candidates’ performance, the number of available spaces, programme-specific requirements and the applicable admission criteria.

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“Consequently, comparing the admission outcomes of individual candidates without a complete understanding of the relevant criteria, approved admission categories, available spaces and applicable rules may produce conclusions that do not accurately represent the admission process as a whole.”

Referring specifically to the section of the petition that cited admission thresholds for Law and Accounting and alleged that candidates with lower scores were admitted while others with higher scores were denied admission, the OAU spokesman said the institution considered it inappropriate to determine the fairness or otherwise of individual admission decisions solely based on selected figures presented without the complete official admission records and relevant regulatory context.

“Where a candidate or parent believes that an admission decision was inconsistent with the approved guidelines, the appropriate course of action is to submit a formal complaint through the University’s established channels for verification and review.

“Such a complaint should identify the relevant programme, admission session, candidate’s credentials, applicable admission category and the specific grounds on which the decision is being challenged.

“The University will address properly submitted complaints in accordance with its established procedures and applicable regulations,” the statement further read.