Miss Universe Nigeria Contestant Ufa Dania representing Kwara | (Photo: missuniversenigeria.org)
- Ufa Dania, representing Kwara State in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, has garnered significant support from South African social media users after being bullied for her appearance.
- She currently stands third in public votes, behind Chidimma Adetshina and Edeifo Aikhuele.
- The pageant, which has seen contestants engage in various activities ahead of the finale on 31 August, has also included Adetshina, who joined after withdrawing from Miss SA 2024 due to safety concerns.
Miss Universe Nigeria contestant Ufa Dania, representing Kwara State in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, has received intense backing from South African social media users who claim to be supporting her because she was bullied for her looks.
The plus-size, dark-skinned model is said to have received more than 9 000 votes within two to three days and is fast climbing the pageant ranks regarding public votes.
She’s in the top three when it comes to public votes, coming in third behind Chidimma Adetshina (Taraba State), with 15 140 public votes, and Edeifo Aikhuele (Edo State) with 10 278 votes as of 28 August 2024.
Miss Universe Nigeria public votes as of 28 August 2024. (Photo: Screenshots via elfrique.com)
Adetshina accepted Miss Universe Nigeria’s invitation to participate in this year’s pageant just days after withdrawing from the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant, citing safety concerns.
Guy Murray-Bruce, president of the Silverbird Group and organiser of the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, made the announcement on Wednesday, 15 August, and explained that as the 25th contestant, Adetshina would represent Taraba State in north-eastern Nigeria.
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The pageant organiser said the 23-year-old reached out to him and initially expressed hesitation about participating in the pageant after being included at such an advanced stage since judges had already selected the top 24.
Murray-Bruce assured her she would be eligible to participate in the competition, regardless of any possible uproar, because she was half-Nigerian.
South Africans have been following the pageant’s progress ever since and have been sharing updates online.
That is how they found out Dania was being bullied, and the online community resolved to show her support.
Several X users have also said they felt it was necessary to support a woman who was bullied for her appearance because the pageant has Skin White as a sponsor, among others. Other have called the move hypocritical and have theorised that it is being done to spite Adetshina by propping up someone else to win.
This week, pageant contestants arrived at a camp ahead of the Miss Universe Nigeria finale set to take place this Saturday at the Convention Centre at Eko Hotel & Suites in Nigeria.
In addition to rehearsing, the contestants have been participating in activities such as group workouts, pageant walking workshops, and brand activations.
