With just days left before the February 26th deadline, many Nigerian students may miss the 2026 UTME entirely as registration centres remain overwhelmed and chaotic, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has warned.

The Labour Party presidential candidate sounded the alarm on Monday after witnessing desperate scenes at the JAMB office in Amawiba, Anambra State, on Friday, where crowds of students struggled to register just as they did a year ago.

In a statement posted on his verified X handle, Obi expressed frustration that nothing has changed despite expectations for improvement following the closure of several Computer Based Test centres over alleged infractions last year.

"The expectation was that corrective measures would follow. Sadly, as I passed there again last Friday, I met the same crowd and confusion," Obi noted.

He revealed that inquiries showed similar situations exist in other states, with desperate candidates travelling from remote villages and some even sleeping overnight in Awka to secure registration slots.

Obi warned that without immediate action, many qualified students will be locked out of the examination through no fault of their own.

"With registration ending on the 26th, the consequences are serious. Many candidates travel from distant villages, some even sleeping in Awka, to secure access. If nothing urgent is done, some will miss the examination not for lack of preparation, but because the system failed them," Obi cautioned.

The former governor proposed practical solutions, suggesting that centres currently under investigation could be allowed to continue operations under strict monitoring, or that previously approved centres could be temporarily reactivated to reduce pressure on state offices.

"While authorities may have valid reasons for sanctioning centres, a more balanced and humane approach is possible. Centres under investigation could be allowed to continue offering limited services under strict monitoring to prevent further lapses. If it is difficult to approve new centres quickly, the authorities could still make temporary use of previously approved centres under close supervision to ease the pressure on state offices," he recommended.

Obi emphasised that students should not pay the price for failures in the system. "Students cannot be made to suffer the failings of a system to which we have all, in one way or another, contributed. What is required now is not blame, but swift and compassionate intervention to ensure that avoidable administrative bottlenecks do not jeopardise any young person’s future," Obi declared.

His intervention comes as concerns grow about whether JAMB can handle the registration backlog before the deadline expires.