The story doing the rounds that the current Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN), Miss Isabella Ayuk, was disqualified from vying at the finals of the Miss World beauty contest holding in Mongolia, China, on the ground of age falsification, according to Silverbird Group boss, Mr Guy Murray-Bruce, “is not only untrue, but the handiwork of rumour mongers.” He added that “Isabella Ayuk is still the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and at no point did we dethrone her. Isabella remains the winner of the MBGN and accordingly is expected to carry out her duties as queen until next year when another queen is chosen.

“Remember it is customary for the Master of Ceremony to announce at the final of the annual Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) that the decision of who to send as Nigeria’s representative to any international pageant rests on the management of the organiser, the Silverbird Group.

“Although she will not be vying for the Miss World title, she will be contesting for the Miss Universe crown, while MBGN second runner-up, Miss Ifeoma Umeokeke, will be at the Miss Tourism International holding later in the year in China.

“The decision to swap her role with that of the first runner-up, Miss Diamette Charles Granville, was taken by the organiser and it was taken in the collective interest of the company and the country,” Mr Bruce affirmed,” he added.

According to the story, Silverbird, the organiser of the longest running beauty pageant in Nigeria, had replaced the queen with her second runner-up for fear of she being disqualified at the finals for exceeding the age limit of 26.