Pandemonium broke out at the University of Calabar Mr and Miss UNICAL pageant held at the Dome in Calabar Municipality area, Calabar, Cross River State on Friday night, forcing the event to end abruptly.
It was gathered that trouble started when the handing over royalties (previous winners) were initially seated at the back of the hall, sparking a protest from the audience.
The situation escalated when a queen from another brand was called upon to crown one of the winners, allegedly as a snub to the handing over royalties.
In response, the handing over royalties stormed out of the event in protest, refusing to participate further.
The incident led to a chaotic scene, with the event ending abruptly without the winners being crowned on stage.
Narrating the ordeal, a male student of the university Pee Jay disclosed that at about 5:30am the judges allegedly handed over the list of winners and people that will crown them to the host of the event to announce.
He noted that a Queen from another brand who is a student of Unical was called upon to crown one of the winners in the present of handing over of the royalties.
He also disclosed that the organizers of the pageantry have been crowing the winners of the event not at the event but after the event.
“I feel the director of Socials or organisers allegedly had a grudge with the handing over royalties or vice versa, because you won’t tell me all those things that happened, you were ignorant of them all Mr DOS.
“Let me take you guys briefly through the odds and even of the event make una follow judge. Event that had 25 contestants started at 12am when guests were already sitted from 6pm.
“Handing over Royalties came in and did their single walk only to come back and realized they were given a seat behind, so they had to come back on stage as if they want to do ovation but no, it was a trick to stage a small protest for their right to be given and yes the audience supported them including me.
“Who keeps handing over Royalties table at the back of the hall?? Were has it ever happened? But yes their demands were met and yesss the audience were happy with it including me.
“After that, at about 5:30am the judges allegedly handed over the list of winners and people that will crown them to the host of the event to announce.
“A Queen from another brand who’s a student of Unical was called upon to crown one of the winners in the present of handing over royalties!
“According to the director of Socials he said he went to plead with them but Mr unical said instead of reasoning with him that he was bullying him instead.
“Outside the fact that two contestants fainted, one due to stress, they kept constant on stage and the other fainted due to allegedly release of teargas by one of the bouncers.
“Mr and Miss Unical event is now looking like a generational curse cuz why does this keep happening every year and they keep crowning winners after the event”.-She said.
When our correspondent contacted Ettano Blessing the director of socials He said
” They were some misunderstandings between we the organizers and the current winners but trust me that everything has been resolved.
” The event was successful but we had one of our contestants who had asthma attack, There’s nothing more to say as everything is fine.”
Calls and Whatapp message sent to Blessing Alims the Student Union Government president, where not responded to.
When contacted for reaction, the phones of the University Vice Chancellor Prof Florence Obi were not reachable.
