Audu Ogbeh, a former minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, is dead.
He died on Saturday at the age of 78.
This is contained in a statement released by Ogbeh’s family on Saturday.
The statement said that the elder statesman died peacefully on Saturday.
“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.
The family described Ogbeh 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 statement added.
It noted that details of the funeral arrangements would be communicated in due course, while expressing gratitude to friends, colleagues, and well-wishers for their prayers and support.
“We will appreciate some privacy at this time while we mourn the loss of our patriarch,” the statement concluded.
Ogbeh was born in Otukpo, Benue state.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later the University of Toulouse in France.
He became a lecturer at Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology in 197 and rose from teaching assistant to head of the Language, Arts and Social Sciences Department.
His entry into public service came with his election to the Benue State House of Assembly in 1979, where he served as Deputy Speaker.
He was subsequently appointed federal minister of communications (1982–1983) and minister of steel development in the Second Republic, until the coup of December 1983 halted his tenure.
Ogbeh is a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party and became national chairman of PDP between 2001–2005.
In the later years of his career, Ogbeh was appointed minister of agriculture and rural development between 2015 and 2019 under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
