By Osagie Alonge
Popular businessman and former gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill has come out to refute claims that he influenced the emergence of Sylvia Nduka as winner of the 2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant.
Over the last few weeks, news has sprung up suggesting Princewill who was one of the seven judges at the pageant, not only had a hand in making Nduka the winner of the pageant but also allegedly had an affair with her – supposedly buying her a house in Garki Abuja along with a BMW X6.
But a press statement recently released by his media chief, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze says the news is false.
‘The defamatory and futile attempt to disparage the good image of Prince Tonye Princewill by some faceless junkyard dogs through their paymasters because of the Rivers State 2015 general election has been brought to our attention and we wish to clarify the falsehood contained in the report alleging that the Prince influenced the emergence of Miss Sylvia Nduka as the 2011 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria because of his relationship with her and in the process gave her expensive gifts including a duplex in Garki and a BMW X6. We wish to let the entire world know that there is no element of truth in the report as it was cooked up by mischievous and deluded minds aimed at destabilising the family of the Prince and maybe scuttle his yet to be unravelled political agenda for the people of Nigeria’, part of the statement read.
Eze goes on to quote a statement made by Princewill on his Facebook wall on June 27, 2012, two days after the pageant was held at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites. ‘I was a judge at the recently concluded MBGN competition but before you crucify me or praise me on the result, just know that I was just as surprised that Taraba won’, Princewill said.
