The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has rejected allegations of ethnic discrimination in its admission process, insisting that decisions are guided by approved regulations, academic requirements and the availability of spaces.
The university’s response followed a petition signed by Akin Okunowo, which circulated widely on social media and accused the institution of marginalising Yoruba candidates, abandoning merit and operating a deliberate agenda against them during the 2025/2026 admission exercise.
The controversy has brought renewed attention to the balance between academic merit, admission quotas and equitable representation in Nigeria’s federal universities, where admission decisions often attract public scrutiny when candidates with seemingly similar qualifications receive different outcomes.
However, OAU’s spokesman, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the institution had no reason to arbitrarily deny qualified candidates admission or discriminate against applicants on ethnic grounds.
In a statement on Monday, Olarewaju explained that the university’s admission process operates within national policies, regulatory requirements and guidelines established by the Federal Government and relevant statutory authorities.
He said the framework was designed to balance academic merit with broader national objectives, drawing a comparison with the Federal Character principle, which promotes equitable representation in appointments and recruitment into federal institutions.
According to him, OAU remains a national institution that welcomes qualified candidates from all parts of the country, with its reputation built on academic excellence and intellectual rigour.
Olarewaju noted that admission into competitive courses depends on several factors, including candidates’ performance, available spaces, programme-specific requirements and the admission criteria applicable to each category.
Addressing allegations in the petition concerning admission thresholds for Law and Accounting, the spokesman said it would be inappropriate to judge the fairness of individual decisions based solely on selected scores without examining the complete admission records and relevant regulatory context.
He added that differences in admission outcomes could not be properly assessed without considering the approved admission categories, available spaces and the specific rules governing each programme.
The university advised candidates and parents who believe an admission decision violated approved guidelines to submit formal complaints through its established channels for verification and review.
Such complaints, Olarewaju said, should include details of the programme, admission session, candidate’s qualifications, applicable admission category and the specific grounds for challenging the decision.
He assured applicants that properly submitted complaints would be considered in line with the university’s procedures and applicable regulations.