A 23-year-old former finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, Chidimma Adetshina, has appealed to the public to support her as she advances in the competition.
Last week, the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant announced that Chidimma had been fast-tracked into the Top 25 finalists. This achievement brought her one step closer to her dream of representing Nigeria on the global stage.
Chidimma took to social media to appeal to the public for their support. In a video posted on the official Miss Universe Nigeria platform, she urged Nigerians to vote for her to help secure a place in the Top 10 of the competition.
“I am representing nature’s gift to the nation, Taraba State. As a woman who has faced adversity, I want to use my voice and my story alongside the Miss Universe Nigeria platform to promote inclusion and acceptance,” Chidimma said in the video. “I also want to educate people on the power of diversity to build a stronger community that benefits everyone.”
Chidimma’s message has resonated with many Nigerians, and she is currently leading in the public vote, surpassing other contestants, including Edeifo Aikhuele, who was previously the fan favorite. According to the rules of the pageant, the three contestants with the highest number of votes will be fast-tracked into the Top 10, making public support crucial for Chidimma’s continued success.
The controversy surrounding Chidimma’s participation in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant has sparked discussions about identity, citizenship, and xenophobia. Guy Murray-Bruce, the owner of the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, spoke out in support of Chidimma in an interview with Arise News, a Nigerian news channel. He defended her right to compete in the pageant, emphasizing that Chidimma is a Nigerian citizen with a valid Nigerian passport.
“We’re trying to help someone who has been abandoned. No fault of hers. She is a victim because she has a Nigerian father and a South African mother,” Murray-Bruce said. He went on to suggest that Chidimma may have been unfairly treated during her time in the Miss South Africa pageant due to her Nigerian heritage. “I don’t know if it was cooked up. It’s a bit twisted. She was doing so well in the pageant that they wanted to get her out. That’s how I see it,” he added.
Murray-Bruce also condemned the allegations against Chidimma, attributing them to xenophobia. “Her only crime was being half Nigerian, and that’s where the xenophobia comes in,” he stated. He further emphasized that Nigeria does not practice xenophobia, suggesting that the country should be more welcoming and inclusive.
The controversy involving Chidimma Adetshina is part of a larger conversation about xenophobia and the treatment of people with dual heritage in Africa. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where foreign nationals, including Nigerians, have been targeted. These incidents have created tension between South Africa and Nigeria, with calls for both countries to take action to protect their citizens.
