Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress(ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has welcomed the federal government’s decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council(NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination(SSCE), describing the move as a victory for Nigerian students, parents and civil society groups.
However, Atiku criticised the President Bola Tinubu administration for what he called a pattern of introducing unpopular policies without adequate consultation, saying Nigeria “is not a laboratory for reckless policy experiments.”
The federal government had on Monday suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 WASSCE, NECO SSCE, following widespread public criticism over the planned increase.
The decision was announced by the Federal Ministry of Education in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Boriowo Folasade, who said the June 18, 2026 letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment had been withdrawn to allow for broader consultations with stakeholders before any final decision is taken.
The ministry explained that the proposed increase was driven by rising costs associated with conducting credible national examinations but noted that the government remained committed to ensuring access to quality education through inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.
Reacting in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the government’s reversal vindicated his earlier warning that increasing examination fees would further widen educational inequality and deny many indigent students access to higher education.
“The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” he said.
According to the former vice president, governance should not be based on trial and error.
“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty,” he stated.
Atiku argued that the Tinubu administration had developed a pattern of announcing harsh policies with little consultation, only to reverse them after sustained public backlash.
“It is becoming a disturbing pattern. This administration announces harsh policies with little evidence of meaningful consultation, only to retreat when confronted by overwhelming public opposition. That is not responsive governance; it reflects poor policy formulation,” he said.
He added that effective leadership requires anticipating the consequences of public policies before implementation rather than relying on citizens’ protests to identify policy shortcomings.
“The purpose of leadership is to anticipate the consequences of public policy before it is implemented. A government that repeatedly relies on public resistance to discover its mistakes is admitting, whether intentionally or not, that it is disconnected from the daily realities of its citizens,” Atiku said.
The ADC presidential candidate warned that the proposed examination fee increase would have placed an additional financial burden on families already grappling with inflation, high transportation costs, rising electricity tariffs and declining purchasing power.
“The proposed examination fee hike would have erected yet another financial barrier before millions of Nigerian children whose families are already crushed by inflation, rising transportation costs, soaring electricity tariffs, and declining purchasing power.
“Education should be the ladder out of poverty, not another luxury reserved for the privileged,” he said.
He commended parents, teachers, labour unions, student organisations, education stakeholders and other Nigerians whose opposition to the proposal, he said, compelled the government to reverse the decision.
“I commend parents, teachers, labour organisations, student groups, education stakeholders, and every patriotic Nigerian whose collective voice compelled this reconsideration. Democracy works best when citizens hold government accountable,” he added.
While welcoming the suspension, Atiku urged the Federal Government to engage stakeholders in developing a sustainable funding framework for WAEC and NECO without transferring additional financial burdens to struggling households.
He also advised the administration to abandon what he described as its habit of introducing anti-people policies before consulting relevant stakeholders.
“Consultation is not a sign of weakness; it is the foundation of responsible governance,” he stated.
The former vice president further called on the Tinubu administration to embrace evidence-based policymaking rooted in dialogue, empathy and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
“A government that listens only after Nigerians cry out is a government that has stopped listening to the people it was elected to serve,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Atiku said Nigerians would have a choice between what he described as an administration driven by “trial and error” and one founded on experience and consultation.
“Thankfully, Nigerians now have a clear choice as the 2027 election approaches. They can choose an administration whose policies are too often driven by trial and error, or they can choose experienced leadership with a proven record in national governance.
“The lesson from this latest policy reversal is simple: a nation as important as Nigeria cannot be governed like a laboratory for endless experimentation. Nigerians deserve leadership that listens before it acts, consults before it decides, and gets it right the first time,” he said.
