“I dey avoid to tok about am becos na emotional one for me, I just even cry earlier on, no be nice feeling becos… (she begin dey cry).”
Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 break down in tears inside exclusive interview with BBC News Pidgin as she speak about her journey and wetin she go through to win di crown.
Ms Adetshina enta news after her citizenship bin cause controversy for social media, wen some pipo bin call on di organisers of di Miss South Africa pageant say make dem disqualify her as dem allege say she no be South African.
Speaking on di controversies, wey make her step down, Chidimma wey dem born for South Africa but wey get Nigerian father and Mozambican roots from her mama side tell BBC News Pidgin say she no dey okay afta all di palava.
“I tink I need to get used to dey tok about am, yeah so, no be nice feeling at all.
“I tink I dey avoid am a lot, na only now e don dey ova me and affect me, so na somtin I go work on as well and see a therapist, becos I feel like I bin dey suppress my emotion becos wetin happun no be minor tin, na really major tin but I go dey fine,” she tok as she cry.
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She also address di South Africa Home Affairs preliminary findings wey allege say, indications show say her mama allegedly commit fraud to register her at birth.
“I no fit respond to dat now becos na legal mata, so I get to first gada all di facts around dat bifor I fit make any comment about dat,” she tok.
‘Na honour to wear dis sash’
Even though Chidimma bin accept invitation from di organisers of di Miss Universe Nigeria competition days afta she step down from Miss SA competition to come compete for Nigeria, she say she bin struggle wit dat decision.
“I bin no wan accept first becos I feel say e bin dey too soon, but den again, I bin always want dis and I be goal getter and I reason say you know wetin maybe dis na just second chance, why not give am a try? And dat na why I accept di invitation.”
Chidinma say she bin always wan contest for pageant but I bin feel say na for younger girls. She add say na for 2017 she really dey aware of pageant mata and e intrigue am
According to Chidinma, she bin sign up for Miss SA 2022 but dem bin no accept am. She say she sign up again becos she know say “dis na di dream I really bin wan fulfil, becos I be goal setter”.
“If I set somtin for mysef, I go always motivate myself to achieve am.”
She say to be Miss Universe na somtin she bin always wan achieve and dat na why she motivate hersef to try again for 2024 and she make am to di top 30 and “I bin dey veri excited becos e no dey easy wen you set big goal for yoursef”.
Chidimma say throughout dat journey, she bin dey progress and become a beta version of hersef and she bin don dey feel like say she dey get closer to achieving her goal bifor kasala burst and she gatz withdraw from di competition.
On going on to win di Miss Universe Nigeria title, Chidimma say she dey veri hapy.
“I feel amazing, na honour to wear dis sash, I dey so excited and I dey proud of mysef too.
Throughout di whole day, I bin dey so anxious, I bin no fit focus, my head bin dey all ova di place and as di competition bin dey go on, I bin get anxiety and I bin dey nervous.
Just bifor dem announce di winner, I bin dey like tank God I just dey grateful say I make am and wen dem call my name, I bin get dis sense of relief, dis sense of accomplishment.
I no fit explain how I feel, na veri powerful moment for me.”
Chdimma win draw mixed reactions from Nigerians.
A lot more positive reactions but e bin get some pipo wey feel say she get easy and favoured start.
“I no tink say e dey easy, di girls here dey veri competitive and dem really showcase demsefs really well. Though I get di point, I get wia pipo dey come from, but at di end of di day, I also get my own journey and I get my own fair share of di process, e fit don dey different, but den I feel like say I also go through a journey wey dem go through too,” Chidimma tok in response to dat.
‘I be proudly South African and Nigerian’
“I no tink say e change anytin about me, I still see mysef proudly South African, I still mysef as proudly Nigerian,” Chidimma tok as she refelct on her journey.
She say na just small small barriers wey dey “divide us as well wey I feel say e no suppose be di case at all”.
“E dey necessary to dey dia but e no suppose be barrier, na just us needing to know wen and how to start accepting dis differences but not necessarily a barrier to separate us.”
Chidimma say na her second time for Nigeria be dis and she dey enjoy di experience.
“Na amazing experience so far, I don enjoy my stay, I dey stay longer so I go explore more and get to know more of Nigeria as well.
“I dey look forward to am becos I experience Nigeria at a veri young age so I not fit really remember evritin but now, I go gada a lot and learn from am to,” Chidinma tok.
Chidimma also wan use her experience to inspire pipo to pursue dia dreams no mata what.
“E always start with you becos if you no want dis dream you no for start dis journey, for me, na tap on di shoulder to say well-done, you don accomplish am,” she tok.
Di beauty queen say she give hersef di title of a strong black African woman.
Chidinma say di message she go give to dose wey dey watch na say make dem no give up on dia dreams and make dem set di goals for diasef.
“E fit look scary, but set dem and anytin within your power to achieve am.
“Pipo fit no see am, in di right way, but I feel say we need am to motivate ourselves,” she tok.
As Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, Chidimma go represent Nigeria for di Miss Universe pageant for Mexico. She say she dey excited about dat journey.
“I dey so excited, I dey get delay in processing my emotions, so I no dey feel di emotions now, I dey only feel am later but I feel say I go still get dat moment wey I go be like, oh my world, I dey go Mexico, and I no know how to express am, na amazing experience and I dey look forward to go and represent Nigeria for Mexico.”
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