Confusion has been sparked among prospective students since Sunday, 12 October, following the circulation of a release signed by the Division of Student Affairs (DSA), directing newly admitted candidates to resume with their admission letters and bedspace clearance forms (for those interested in staying in the university-owned hostels). Meanwhile, the institution is aware that the majority of the aspirants are still on Admission in Progress (AIP) status, and none have yet been granted admission.
The announcement has left many aspirants frustrated and uncertain, as most have remained on the AIP status for four weeks, with none confirmed to have changed to the ‘Admitted’ status. The release signed by the DSA can be likened to ‘a Venn diagram with a null set,’ as many aspirants are yet to be admitted, let alone obtain accommodation or clearance forms.
In an interview, Oreoluwa, an aspirant of Food Science and Technology, lamented the delay, disclosing that she had been on the AIP status since the middle of September, hoping that her admission status would change at least a week before the October 11th resumption date; unfortunately, nothing of the sort has occurred. Similarly, Kehinde Precious, an aspirant of Public Administration, added, ‘Now I am frustrated because my admission status is not showing ‘admitted’ yet, but I met the catchment area cutoff mark, and I was just 0.15 points off the merit cutoff mark.’
Recall that ACJOAU earlier reported that some aspirants had charged the institution in court on behalf of themselves and other affected candidates, citing irregularities in the Post-UTME exercise. The court granted an injunction, ordering both OAU and UNILAG to halt their admission processes. However, the Public Relations Officer of OAU stated that the university was not aware of the court ruling.
Subsequently, the university’s Legal Unit responded to the suit, faulting the law firm for filing the Post-UTME case with an outdated NBA seal. They instructed the lawyer to update his seal to establish a valid right to practise in the current year. This information was contained in a letter dated 4 October 2025, signed by the Director of Legal Services, Yinka Ayantola.
This has led students to ponder whether the court injunction is partly responsible for the delay in the admission process.
Students’ Union’s Comment
In an interview with the Vice President of the Great Ife Students’ Union, Falade Iyanuoluwa, she confirmed that no aspirants have been offered admission yet, as the majority are still on AIP, while some are on ‘Not Admitted’ status, hoping to be transferred to another course. She further explained that the university’s directive was to avoid a repeat of last year’s situation, where incomplete admissions led to students being allocated “makeshift” accommodations, causing major displacements upon full resumption.
In her words, ‘the university management is trying to meet the calendar, but factors like accommodation have to be considered.’ The Union’s Vice President further urged the aspirants with AIP status to resume academically, but not on campus, since they do not yet have accommodation.
She also confirmed that the orientation and other programmes remain on hold until admissions are finalised. “AIP is an assurance of admission, but only resumes if you have a space on campus,” she added, noting that the Union has created WhatsApp platforms for aspirants, where they provide constant updates.
The delay is from JAMB – DSA
Reacting to the issue, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. John Odedire, explained that the delay in resumption is mainly due to many candidates not yet receiving their admission letters — an issue he attributed to JAMB, not the university. “We just felt there was no way we could capture them on our database. Technically, they are not yet our students, so we cannot interact with them,” he said.
Speaking further, the Dean added, “All we do now is just on face value, as there is no way to profile them. Someone who has not been migrated to the student portal cannot be regarded as a student yet.’
Prof. Odedire also stated that the reason the Freshers’ Orientation Programme was postponed was to allow more candidates to receive their admission letters and other documents before the programme begins. He emphasised that the delay has nothing to do with the ongoing ASUU strike. ‘The delay in the status of students changing to ‘admitted’ is from JAMB and not for any other reason.’