Kemi Nelson, former APC women leader, dies at 66

Kemi Nelson, former south-west women leader of the All Progressives Congress APC), is dead.

She reportedly died on Sunday after a protracted illness.

The former women leader was 66 years old at the time of her death..

Gboyega Akosile, chief press secretary to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, announced the development in a tweet.

“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,” Akosule tweeted 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🙏. pic.twitter.com/QltS2WY5HO

— Gboyega Akosile (@gboyegaakosile) July 17, 2022

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A major player in the APC and an ally of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the party, she was a force to reckon with in terms of her influence in politics, especially within Lagos and the south-west.

At a meeting at the presidential villa in 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari commended her for her efforts to promote his administration and the party in Lagos.

“I always identify her by her headtie style. I have followed how she has been working very hard in Lagos, fighting people on my behalf,” Buhari had said.

“I know I visited her office. Thank you very much. I am very much aware of your genuine support and the time you have given and the resources. Thank you very much.”

The former APC women leader was a registered nurse and midwife, and held a master’s degree in financial management.

She was a fellow of the National Institute of Marketing, and reportedly the only female member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos.

She was also a former executive director of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and was known for her signature headtie.