In a dramatic escalation of a six-month-long dispute, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved the immediate redeployment of all staff from the Adamawa State office in Yola to Gombe State. The directive, issued on March 24, 2026, instructs all affected officials to report to their new station by May 4, 2026, effectively shutting down JAMB operations in Adamawa.

The decision comes barely half a year after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri personally intervened, appealing to the JAMB Registrar to halt a previous relocation plan. The Governor had promised to support the board in securing a standard office in the state capital.

According to inside sources, after the Governor’s initial intervention, his office engaged the Deputy Governor to lead negotiations with JAMB management. The talks concluded with Governor Fintiri approving ₦10 million for JAMB to rent a temporary office in Yola while awaiting the provision of a permanent structure.

However, JAMB reportedly rejected the offer. Insiders say the board considered the amount insufficient for a standard facility, especially given that despite generating billions of naira in revenue from Adamawa State over the past 25 years, the board has failed to build a single standard office in the state.

“You cannot generate billions from a state for a quarter of a century and still operate from a dilapidated or non-existent office,” one education stakeholder in Yola said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The JAMB Registrar’s final directive is seen as a sharp rebuke to the Adamawa State Government. Governor Fintiri had personally called and appealed to the Registrar not to close the Yola office, but his pleas were ultimately disregarded.

An official close to the matter remarked, “The Registrar feels undervalued. No one will choose to remain where they are less respected.”

With the Yola office set to cease all operations, thousands of students and candidates in Adamawa State will now be forced to travel to Gombe for any JAMB-related service. This includes registration for examinations, correction of personal data, resolution of complaints, and retrieval of lost or missing results.

Education advocates warn that the relocation will impose significant financial and logistical burdens on families, particularly those in rural areas.

In response, stakeholders including the Adamawa State Government, National Assembly members, traditional rulers, and civil society organizations are being urged to intervene before the May 4 deadline.

“This is not just a bureaucratic issue; it is a crisis for education in Adamawa,” said a parent in Yola. “Our children should not be punished because two authorities cannot agree on an office.”

However, some observers have expressed understanding for the Registrar’s position. “With all due respect, if you were the Registrar, you would likely do the same. No one willingly stays where they are undervalued,” a commentator noted. “The Adamawa Government resorted to a temporary solution when a permanent one was needed for decades. Perhaps it is time to let sleeping dogs lie and respect the final decision of the board.”

As the May 4 deadline approaches, all eyes are on the Adamawa State Government and the National Assembly to see if any last-minute intervention can reverse the decision and prevent what many are calling an avoidable educational hardship.