By Abiola Olawale
A former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, is dead.
Ogbeh, who was also a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was said to have passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the age of 78.
This was contained in a statement released on Saturday by the Ogbeh family.
The statement reads in part: “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 age of 78.
“We are comforted by the many lives he touched and the example he set.”
The family expressed gratitude for the support and prayers from friends, colleagues, and well-wishers, requesting privacy as they mourn their patriarch.
The New Diplomat reports that Ogbeh, born on July 28, 1947, in Otukpo, Benue State, was a towering figure in Nigerian politics and agriculture.
A farmer, playwright, and seasoned politician, Ogbeh’s career which spanned decades was marked by contributions to Nigeria’s governance and development.
He served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2015 to 2019 under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Prior to his being minister, he was the National Chairman of the PDP from 2001 to 2005.
Ogbeh also held ministerial positions in the Second Republic, serving as Minister of Communications (1982–1983) and later Minister of Steel Development under President Shehu Shagari.
His political journey began in 1979 when he was elected to the Benue State House of Assembly under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), where he served as deputy speaker.
Beyond politics, Ogbeh was a scholar and creative mind. He studied at King’s College, Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the University of Toulouse, France. His passion for literature led him to write five plays, including The Epitaph of Simon Kisulu, staged at the Muson Center in 2002.
