By Reloaded News Desk
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has rejected allegations of ethnic discrimination and deliberate abandonment of merit in its 2025/2026 admission process, insisting that it operates within the admission policies and regulatory framework established for federal universities in Nigeria.
The university’s response follows an open petition authored by Akin Okunowo, who alleged that the institution’s admission process discriminated against some candidates and compromised academic standards.
In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, the university said the allegations created misleading impressions about its admission procedures and the policies governing entry into federal tertiary institutions.
OAU maintained that its admission process takes account of candidates’ academic performance, available spaces, programme-specific requirements and applicable admission criteria.
The university also rejected suggestions that its decisions were motivated by hostility towards Yoruba students or a deliberate attempt to undermine qualified candidates from any part of the country.
University explains federal admission policy
Olarewaju said OAU, as a federal institution, was required to comply with national admission guidelines and directives issued by the relevant regulatory authorities.
According to the statement, the federal admission framework incorporates merit, geographical representation and educational access, including provisions relating to catchment areas and educationally disadvantaged states, where applicable.
The university argued that these considerations were intended to balance academic standards with broader objectives of fairness, inclusion and national integration.
It added that responsibility for establishing or fundamentally changing the federal admission policy rested with the appropriate federal authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
The university therefore urged anyone seeking the abolition or fundamental review of the policy to direct such demands to the relevant authorities rather than attributing the entire framework to an individual institution.
OAU responds to Law, Accounting admission allegations
The petition reportedly cited admission thresholds for Law and Accounting, alleging that some candidates with lower scores secured admission while others with higher scores were unsuccessful.
Responding, OAU said individual admission outcomes could not be adequately assessed through selected scores without examining the full admission records, the applicable admission categories, programme requirements and available spaces.
The university maintained that differences in admission thresholds, where permitted under an authorised framework, did not automatically establish ethnic discrimination.
It advised candidates and parents who believed their admission decisions were inconsistent with approved guidelines to submit formal complaints through the university’s established channels.
Such complaints, the institution said, should include the relevant programme, admission session, candidate’s credentials, admission category and specific grounds for challenging the decision.
OAU said it would consider properly submitted complaints in accordance with its procedures and applicable regulations.
University calls for evidence-based debate
The institution acknowledged that admission into competitive programmes could generate disappointment among candidates and parents, particularly when applicants who expected to gain admission were unsuccessful.
However, it cautioned against turning individual admission outcomes into broad allegations of corruption, ethnic conspiracy or deliberate educational sabotage without compelling evidence.
The university said it remained committed to transparency and recognised the importance of public scrutiny of its admission procedures.
It also maintained that its reputation should not be judged solely on the basis of a single admission controversy, adding that its record was built on decades of academic work, research, innovation and service.
OAU reiterated its willingness to engage with parents, students, education stakeholders and members of the public seeking clarification or wishing to raise legitimate concerns.
