Nkesi Gift Okandu was crowned Miss Earth Nigeria on September 12th 2009. But on Sept 28, she was dethroned and the 1st runner up crowned. When contacted, the organiser of the pageant Ms Ibinabo Fiberesima had this to say about why the new queen was dethroned so quickly...
"The girl does not have a passport, and I had a deadline to submit my delegate from Nigeria. The first runner up then submitted her own passport details and I submitted hers to meet my dead line. I then offered the girl that won to go to Miss Globe in Albania. She agreed because that's what we have on our contract. The next day I started getting threatening calls from her family that I have no right to substitute the winner. I tried to explain why I didn't have a choice, but the more I explained, the more threats I got saying, I don't love my life and I should remember I have children and this is Port Harcourt. They said they don't think I value my life. After all the threats, I had a meeting with my directors and we decided to dethrone her and make the 1st runner-up our queen". *
Source: Stella Dimoko-Korkus
