By Peter Omopo
Abuja, August 9, 2025 — Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has died at the age of 78.
A statement issued by the Ogbeh family on Saturday confirmed that the elder statesman passed away peacefully on August 9, describing him as a man who “departed peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, service, and dedication to our nation and community.”
“We are comforted by the many lives he touched and the example he set,” the family said, adding that funeral arrangements would be announced later and requesting privacy during the mourning period.
Born in Otukpo, Benue State, Ogbeh attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, before furthering his studies at the University of Toulouse in France. He began his career in academia, rising to head the Language, Arts and Social Sciences Department at Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1977.
His political journey began with his election to the Benue State House of Assembly in 1979, where he served as Deputy Speaker. He was later appointed Minister of Communications (1982–1983) and Minister of Steel Development until the December 1983 military coup.
Ogbeh devoted the subsequent years to agriculture, establishing rice mills, a cashew plantation, and community-based agricultural initiatives. He returned to public service as a member of the National Constitutional Conference Commission (1993) and the National Reconciliation Committee (1995).
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ogbeh served as its National Chairman from 2001 to 2005, stepping down after opposing then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid. He later served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (2015–2019) under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Beyond politics, Ogbeh was also a playwright, with works including Epitaph of Simon Kisulu, performed at the Muson Centre in 2002.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among other prominent Nigerians, has expressed condolences, hailing Ogbeh as a leader who believed deeply in Nigeria’s potential.
