A former executive director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and former Southwest Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Kemi Nelson, is dead.
Ms Nelson, the only female member of Bola Tinubu’s influential governance advisory council in Lagos, passed on on Sunday morning, family source said.
Family members said Ms Nelson, 66, had been unwell for a while, treating undisclosed ailments. She died on Sunday after a protracted illness.
“She has been sick for over three months. A lot of us who saw her at the APC functions some months back knew that something is wrong. She came, she saw and conquered. May God rest her soul”, the source said.
Chairman, APC, Ikeja Chapter and Chairman Conference of the 57 APC Chairmen in Lagos State, Mayegun Dally Adeokun announced her death.
“With heavy heart but with gratitude to Almighty God, we announce the death this morning of our Ikeja apex leader and state GAC member, Chief Mrs. Kemi Nelson.
“Our condolences go to her immediate family and the Ikeja political family. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace”, the announcement read.
Also confirming the sad development, Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a tweet, announced that the APC chieftain died on Sunday.
“We lost a dear soul to the cold hands of death earlier today. May the soul of the late Chief Mrs. Kemi Nelson, former Southwest Women Leader of the @OfficialAPCNg.
“Rest In Peace and may God grant her immediate family, friends and associates the fortitude to bear this loss”, Akosule tweeted on Sunday.
Nelson, famously known as Yeyesewa after her chieftaincy title, was born in Lagos on 9 February 1956 and attended Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode for her secondary education.
Nelson attended school of Nursing in the University College Hospital Ibadan where she qualified as a registered Nurse and Midwife.
She got an MBA in Financial Management and a Diploma in Law from the Lagos State University, Ojo.
Nelson began her political journey in 1990, joining the now defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
She was the senatorial candidate for the Lagos West Senatorial district in 1992 and was defeated at the polls by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In 1998, during the regime of General Abacha, she contested for the Ikeja Federal Constituency in the house of assembly. This time, as a member of UNCP. She won the election but it was truncated by the death of General Abacha.
In 1999, she joined Alliance for Democracy (AD) and from 1999 to 2003, she served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation during the tenure of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and has served as the Women Leader of Lagos State Chapter of The All Progressives Congress (APC) and was later made the South West Women Leader of APC.
She is the only female serving member of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
Nelson had played several important roles since 1999. She was a commissioner during the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
She was the only female serving member of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
Nelson was appointed to NSITF by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, a position she held until May 2021 when she was removed.
