Founder of the Silverbird Group Ben Murray-Bruce has said Bianca-Odumegwu Ojukwu will become Nigeria’s first elected female governor, while also congratulating the former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) on her appointment as minister of foreign affairs.
Writing in a social media post on Thursday, Murray-Bruce, who created the MBGN pageant in 1986, said he had known Odumegwu-Ojukwu since her early years on the global beauty stage.
He recalled accompanying her during that period and praised her qualities.
“Long before Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu became Ambassador, Minister, and now Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, I had the privilege of accompanying her around the world as she represented our country on the global beauty stage. In those years, she was without exaggeration one of the most beautiful women on earth. Also the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Miss Intercontinental—a face that carried Nigeria’s elegance into every room she entered.
“But what I saw then was not just beauty. It was poise. Intelligence. Grace under pressure. The unmistakable presence of a woman destined to serve,” he said.
Murray-Bruce added that the former beauty queen’s career in diplomacy had reflected those qualities.
“The years have only confirmed it. From her distinguished service as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and to Italy, to her tenure as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca has carried herself with the same dignity that defined her on the world stage decades ago; except now, the stage is diplomacy, and the audience is the entire international community,” he said.
He also commended president Bola Tinubu for the appointment.
“Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has elevated her to Minister of Foreign Affairs. Congratulations, Mr. President, on a truly excellent appointment. Nigeria’s foreign policy is in safe, capable, and elegant hands,” the 70-year-old continued.
Murray Bruce, who served as director general of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) from 1999 to 2003 and later represented Bayelsa East in the Senate from 2015 to 2019, said he believes Odumegwu-Ojukwu could become Nigeria’s first elected female governor.
“And I will say this without hesitation: I believe Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu will, in time, become the first elected female governor in Nigeria’s history. The trajectory is unmistakable. The country will be the better for it.
“To my dear sister Bianca, the world has always looked up to you. Now it must listen to you,” he concluded.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (nee Onoh) was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1988 but resigned the following year amid intense public scrutiny over her relationship with the late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. Her departure from the role allowed runner-up Regina Askia to complete the term, after which Bianca shifted her focus to her legal studies and eventual diplomatic career.
