This is a silly excuse from the so-called Abubakar A. Rafindadi of ABU.

I personally refused to comment on the non-admission of the Goodness Thomas (UTME Score of 302) in question, while I waited for an explanation from the school. If Rafindadi's explanation is indeed the school's official position, then we have a big problem on our hands. What you have going on at ABU doesn't qualify as Merit list, but a silly execution of Federal Character. By implication, if the highest score from Kebbi state (for example) is 192, what this means is that applicants from Kebbi state will be given admission to study Medicine with 192 and less, while students scoring 300 and above from other states will be turned down. No wonder we have been witnessing killer-doctors everywhere in Nigeria, individuals without the capacity to become doctors but have been forced to become one by this toxic implementation of Federal Character.

ABU should stop redefining what Merit list entails. Merit list means your state of origin and political affiliations do not matter, and all that matters is your academic performance. The final deciding factor here is your score. By redefining ABU's Merit list the institution has become more of a tool to cater to academically deficient (and perhaps lazy) regions while students who have taken their academics seriously are being turned away.

What ABU calls Merit List, apart from being a dismal 45%, is not a Merit List, but a Mediocre List. That ABU had the audacity to come out and defend this silliness suggests all is not well with the school. It is very important for ASUU, NUC, student unions and other university stakeholders to get to the bottom of this corrupt admission process, not just in ABU, but in other Federal Schools who have also taken legitimization of mediocrity to a whole new level. The real Merit List, for a programme like Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, etc in Federal Universities should be a 100% real merit. The state universities are there to cater to those states that lack the rigorous academic culture to ensure their children get admission into Federal Institutions.