The West African Examinations Council has withheld the results of 167,486 candidates who sat the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates over alleged examination malpractice.
The figure represents 8.59 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who took the examination and marks a decline from the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025.
The Head of the WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, announced the development while releasing the results in Lagos on Wednesday.
Dangut cited the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls despite an existing ban, as well as organised cheating in some schools, as key reasons for the withheld results.
He noted that some supervisors and invigilators found assisting candidates had been arrested and would face disciplinary action through the relevant state ministries of education.
In this report, PUNCH Online explains, based on a guide sighted on the WAEC website, what affected candidates should do.
A “withheld” status means the result is under investigation and is not the same as cancellation.
Final decisions rest with the Nigeria Examinations Committee after a review.
What affected candidates should do
- Stay calm and avoid panic. A withheld result does not automatically mean the entire result has been cancelled.
- Contact your school principal or examination officer immediately.
- For school candidates, schools often receive official communication from WAEC and can provide guidance or help lodge representations.
- Use the official WAEC Notice of Examinations Malpractice portal at https://waecinternational.org/complaints.
- On the complaints portal, candidates can enter their examination number to view the reason(s) for the notice (where available) and submit a representation or defence for the council’s consideration.
- Check the portal periodically, including around four weeks after the release of the results, for updates.
- Rely only on official WAEC channels, including its website, verified social media accounts and offices.
- Do not pay agents, social media “helpers” or third parties who claim they can release, upgrade or fast-track a withheld result, as such claims are typically scams. Be patient.
- Investigations can take weeks or several months, depending on the complexity of the case.
- Results are released if the candidate is cleared. However, specific subjects or the entire result may be cancelled if malpractice is confirmed.
- Candidates can still apply to tertiary institutions using an “awaiting result” status in many cases, although the final result will be required for clearance and admission confirmation.
WAEC has also noted that the results of candidates sponsored by states indebted to the council may remain unreleased until the outstanding payments are cleared.
Affected candidates and parents are advised to rely only on verified information from WAEC and avoid circulating or relying on unverified lists or letters claiming that specific schools’ results have been mass-withheld.
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
Read the full article here
