Julius OkorieNovember 2024 is here, and one of the unique dates of the month will be November 16, when all eyes will be on Mexico, venue of the 73td Miss Universe Pageant.
At that occasion, precisely at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, reigning Miss Universe, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua will crown her successor with pomp and pageantry.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelA total of 128 ladies from around the world will be competing in the 73rd Miss Universe pageant and one of those contestants with equal chances of emerging victorious will be Nigeria’s Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina, who is already in Mexico ahead of the showdown with 127 other contestants.
Jumping The Hurdles:
Chidimma Adetshina whose name Chidimma means “God is good” will perhaps be competing in the 100 and 200m Hurdles if she were to be an athlete. But despite not being an athlete, she has had to equally jump hurdles getting to partake in the forthcoming Miss Universe.
Her travails began from her base in South Africa where she was born in the city of Soweto to a Nigeria father. Her mother a Mozambican is accused of allegedly committing identity fraud in South Africa. Adetshina entered Miss South Africa 2024 and was looking good to emerge in the contest. The Home Affairs in South Africa claimed to have conducted investigation into her mother’s citizenship and claimed she committed identity fraud by illegally acquiring South African Citizenship in 2021.
The investigation and the claims by Home affairs soon snowballed into the usual xenophobic attack forcing Chidimma to withdraw from the contest in South Africa citing personal reason and safety for her life despite garnering support from the public who saw her as a representation of South Africa’s diverse population.
Victory At Miss Universe Nigeria Pageant August 31 2024:
Away from the controversy of South Africa the Miss Universe Nigeria version extended invitation to Adetshina who did not hesitate to accept the offer and joined other 24 Nigeria beauties in contest for the Miss Universe Nigeria to represent the country at the world stage in Mexico.
Primebusiness.africa reported that her entry into Miss Universe Nigeria mid-way was not without controversy as some immediately called against giving her undue advantage on compassionate ground.
Eventually on 31st August at Eko Hotel and Suits, venue of the final of the Nigerian contest, she emerged winner representing Taraba State in the contest.
Expectedly, there were claims in some quarters that she was favoured. Aware of the submissions in she also reacted to it saying, “A lot of people felt like it was a pity win and I don’t think it was. I feel like I really worked hard. Coming from the Miss SA journey, going through the whole experience, it might have been a slight difference compared to everybody else, but I feel like if you look at the journey that we’ve all been through, I really had the same experience that they did,” Adetshina said in an interview with Arise News.
Social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, was among those who accused organisers of handing the victory to Chidimma on a platter saying “As I predicted, they have given Chidinma the Miss Universe (Nigeria) crown.
They tried to be fair but later ended up not being fair. Because she had a small problem in South Africa and was frustrated, you now invited her to Nigeria for the Miss Universe pageantry and gave it to her. How about the ladies that have been preparing for this thing a long time ago? Because I am sure you people did not give it to her by merit but by pity. This is not fair. This is favouritism and pity. A lot of people have used this pity thing to win a lot of things in this country.’’
The Heat Is Still On:
But just when you think the storm is over, Primebusiness.africa notes that a group that calls itself Progressive Forces in South Africa has launched a petition to stop the Nigerian representative from participating in the Miss Universe Pageant in Mexico come November 16 citing a criminal charge that she and her Mozambican-born mother could be facing for alleged identity theft.
Late Last month, the Department of Home Affairs of South Africa revoked her South African identity papers, following an investigation into her mother’s origins.
Adetshina, already in Mexico for the Pageant, arrived on a Nigerian passport indicating that she is on course for the pageant.
The said petition, launched Wednesday last week, has reportedly garnered 500 signatures within a day. The petitioners are hoping to see if their push can lead to the disqualification of the 22-year-old.
“As Progressive Forces of South Africa, we are writing this letter on behalf of everyone who stands for justice to plead with you Miss Universe as an organisation to reconsider the contestant Miss Nigeria Universe and, if possible, to cancel her entry,” the petition read. The body in what looks like taking Panadol for another person’s headache added.
“Miss Universe is a known brand of class, integrity and fair competition. Miss Universe is known for granting a good platform to women from all walks of life to make a positive contribution to society while being the golden key to unlocking endless possibilities.
“We would hate to see the pageant losing its good image due to a contestant whose mother [allegedly stole] the identity of an innocent citizen. Not only did this contestant bring her own country into disrepute, but her participating in this iconic pageant would also bring Africa into disrepute.”
In all of this, Adetshina has continued to preach peace and tolerance among people irrespective of their colour and creed.
“It’s so weird how the things that are not supposed to be barriers actually are barriers. For instance, I would comment that I’m proudly Nigerian and I’m proudly South African, and I would see in my comments that a lot of people would laugh about it.
“What is really funny about it? Are we not supposed to appreciate one another and accept one another? Just because I have such a diverse background and you might not have that diverse background that does not necessarily mean that we are so different from each other. We should learn how to educate one another on the fact that even though someone might not be as diverse as you are, we can still come together and learn about each other’s cultures. We can still learn from one another, really come together, and be in each other’s space while appreciating one another, “she enthused.
Effort in Futility:
The right to petition is prerogative of the petitioners but there are no signs that Chidimma who is representing Nigeria and not South Africa in this contest will be disqualified based on petition from South Africa. In fact both Miss Universe South Africa Mia Le Roux and Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina are already in Mexico ready for the showdown in the next 15 days.
Le Roux departed South Africa on Sunday, exuding elegance in a bold red dress adorned with a South African flag brooch, proudly showcasing her national pride.
READ ALSO :Chidinma Adetshina Enters Master List For Miss Universe Final In Mexico
“I’m excited because I’m carrying South Africa with me in my heart. I’m carrying every part of you with me in my heart because I’m not here just for myself, I’m here for every South African. I’m here for every person that has to fight for their space and I’m going to fight for them,” Le Roux said. “I’m proud and honoured to be the first deaf contestant in Miss Universe.” She told the media
Adetshina on her part made a brief stop in Los Angeles at the weekend for final preparations before heading to Mexico.
She arrived in LA wearing a striking red dress, declaring she’s “ready to set the stage on fire”.
“It is time to hearken to the silent voices of the universe. It has called out to me for so long and today I stand tall to hearken to it with a strong purpose; casting away all the barricades that have held me back and strongly championing and advocating for inclusion,” Adetshina said.
At the stage the contest has reached, what organisers, stakeholders and lovers of the Miss Universe World are looking forward to is a good show.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
