Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has passed away at the age of 78.
His family, in a statement on Saturday, confirmed that the elder statesman died peacefully.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather; Chief Audu Ogbeh. He passed away on the 9th of August 2025 at the fulfilled age of 78,” the statement read.
Describing him as a man of “integrity, service, and dedication to our nation and community,” the family said they were “comforted by the many lives he touched and the example he set.” They added that funeral arrangements would be announced later, while requesting privacy during the mourning period.
Born in Otukpo, Benue State, Ogbeh studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later at the University of Toulouse in France. In 1977, he became head of the Language, Arts, and Social Sciences Department at Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology.
Ogbeh’s political career began with his election to the Benue State House of Assembly in 1979, where he served as Deputy Speaker. He later became Minister of Communications (1982–1983) and Minister of Steel Development until the December 1983 military coup.
After years in the agricultural sector—where he established rice mills, cashew plantations, and community farming projects—he returned to national service. He was a member of the National Constitutional Conference Commission (1993) and the National Reconciliation Committee (1995).
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogbeh was elected National Chairman in 2001. He famously opposed then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term ambition, a stance that led to his resignation in 2005.
In 2015, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development by President Muhammadu Buhari, serving until 2019.
Meanwhile President Bola Tinubu has sent his condolence to Ogbeh’s family
