Miss Universe 2024: Chidimma Adetshina ranks second in world pre-arrival hot picks

Nigerian beauty queen, Chidimma Adetshina, has been ranked second in the world’s Miss Universe pre-arrival hot picks.

This was revealed in a viral pre-arrival poll on Tuesday, November 5.

The 23-year-old was ranked ahead of the 73rd edition of the global Miss Universe pageant on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

Chidimma arrived in Mexico in October 2024, to compete for the crown.

The news of Adetshina’s position has thrilled Nigerians, who believe she has a strong chance to win.

Chidimma, who has been at the centre of a fierce nationality row, is said to be stripped of her South African identity and travel documents. (Related articles: Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, to seek therapy over xenophobic abuse,  Miss Universe Nigeria: I didn’t get a pity win, I worked hard – Chidimma Adetshina, ‘I cry myself to sleep over my identity crisis’ – Ex Miss South Africa contestant, Chidimma Adetshina reveals)

BBC reported that The Department of Home Affairs began investigating her case after she became a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, but faced criticism as people questioned her eligibility to compete because her mother has Mozambican roots and her father is Nigerian.

She withdrew from the competition in August after the department announced that her mother might have committed "identity theft" to become a South African national.

Ms Adetshina, a law student, went on to win Miss Universe Nigeria after she was invited to participate by the organisers.

The controversy sparked a wave of xenophobic vitriol in South Africa after which Ms Adetshina told the BBC she would need therapy to recover.

The Department of Home Affairs made the announcement about the withdrawal of her ID papers to a parliamentary committee last week.

Tommy Makhode, the top civil servant at the department, said Ms Adetshina’s mother would also have her documents cancelled as they had both failed to meet Monday’s deadline to provide reasons why they should be eligible to keep them.

Neither Ms Adestshina nor her mother have commented on the move to revoke their papers.

Mr Makhode said the case had been referred to the Hawks, a special police unit that investigates serious crimes, which had concluded that it was a "case of fraud" - and officials were awaiting on prosecutors about how to proceed.

After the department’s revelation in August, it had said that Ms Adestshina "could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother as she was an infant at the time".

Ms Adestahina has previously said she was born in the South African township of Soweto.

 After winning the beauty competition in Nigeria, she told that BBC that she still saw herself as "proudly South African" and "proudly Nigerian".

Ms Adetshina has just arrived in Mexico to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe competition to be held on 16 November.

She will compete against contestants from across the world, including Mia le Roux, who won this year's Miss South Africa contest.