Daud Olatunji
A parent, Akin Okunowo, has petitioned the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, over alleged discrimination against candidates from South-West states in the institution’s admission process.
Okunowo, a national leader of Anti-Cult Activities in Nigeria, called for the abolition of admission cut-off marks based on candidates’ states of origin, arguing that the practice could disadvantage qualified applicants from the region.
In an open petition dated October 23, 2026, and addressed to the university’s Governing Council through the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar, he questioned the rationale for applying different admission thresholds to candidates seeking admission into the same courses.
He cited figures he claimed represented cut-off marks for Law and Accounting, alleging that candidates associated with some South-West states faced higher requirements than applicants from certain other states.
For Law, Okunowo listed cut-off marks of 76.875 for Osun, 76.53 for Oyo and 75.78 for Ogun, compared with 57.05 for Kaduna and 53.43 for Kebbi.
He also cited figures of 63.20 for Ogun and Oyo candidates seeking admission to study Accounting, compared with 55.70 for Lagos candidates.
The petitioner argued that such differences raised questions about fairness, transparency and the place of academic merit in university admissions.
“Your cut-off mark system is killing merit, killing OAU and killing Nigeria and its future — abolish it now!” he wrote.
Okunowo said the admission policy had affected his son, who, according to him, was born, raised and educated in Lagos State but was denied admission to study Accounting after scoring 63 per cent.
He claimed the relevant cut-off mark for his son was 63.20 because of his ancestral connection to Ogun State.
“My son who was born in Lagos State, raised and educated in Lagos scored 63% for accounting, but you put his cut-off at 63.20 because his great-grandparents were from Ogun State,” he alleged.
The petitioner further claimed that candidates of Kaduna and Lagos origins, who scored 59 and 56 per cent respectively, were admitted.
However, the circumstances surrounding the candidates’ applications, their admission categories and the official criteria applied to them were not independently established in the petition.
Expressing his displeasure, Okunowo wrote, “Your blood is more important than your brain. The state of your grandparents is more important than your score.”
He questioned why candidates with different state-of-origin classifications appeared to face substantially different thresholds for the same course, arguing that the practice undermined confidence in the admission process.
“How can OAU, situated in Ile-Ife, demand 75.78% from an Ogun child to study Law, 76.53% from an Oyo child, 76.875% from an Osun child, but demand 57.05% from a Kaduna child and 53.43% from a Kebbi child for the same law, same class, and same certificate?” he asked.
The parent also challenged the university to explain why the cut-off marks were allegedly not published before the admission process, insisting that applicants deserved clear and timely information about the requirements for securing admission.
Okunowo argued that the alleged use of state-of-origin criteria could raise constitutional questions, citing Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits certain forms of discrimination, including discrimination on the grounds of community, ethnic group and place of origin.
“It violates Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution which says no Nigerian shall be discriminated against based on place of origin. Cut-off by state of origin is unconstitutional. And we will challenge you in court,” he stated.
His assertion represents the petitioner’s legal position; whether the specific admission arrangements violate the Constitution would require an assessment of the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
He urged the university to address educational disparities between states by investing in schools, teachers, funding and remedial programmes rather than applying lower admission thresholds to candidates from educationally disadvantaged areas.
“If a state is educationally less developed, give it more schools, more teachers, more funding, more bridging programs. Don’t give it lower cut-off for Law, Medicine, and other courses,” he wrote.
As part of his demands, Okunowo called on the Governing Council to abolish state-of-origin-based cut-off marks for the 2026 admission exercise and adopt an admission framework that gives 70 per cent weight to merit and 30 per cent to catchment considerations based on where candidates live and attend school.
“Return to what made Ife great: 70% merit, 30% catchment based on where a child lives and schools, not where his grandfather was born,” he demanded.
He also urged the university to publish all admission cut-off marks before the commencement of the admission process, saying transparency would enable candidates to understand the applicable requirements and assess their chances of gaining admission.
According to him, the university must protect its academic reputation by ensuring that admission decisions are transparent, consistent and fair to qualified applicants.
“OAU did not become Great Ife because of shameful cut-off marks like this. It became Great Ife because of merit. You are destroying its standard,” he stated.
The petitioner warned that failure to address his demands would trigger public campaigns, legal proceedings and international advocacy over what he described as discriminatory admission practices.
Copies of the petition were reportedly sent to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education.
As of the time of filing this report, the university’s response to the allegations had not been obtained.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
'