By Ayomide Otitoju
Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh has died at the age of 77, his family announced on Saturday. He passed away peacefully on August 9, 2025.
Ogbeh served as agriculture minister from November 2015 to May 2019 during the first term of late President Muhammadu Buhari. He was also National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 2001 and 2005, and earlier served as deputy speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly from 1979 to 1982.
A respected political voice, Ogbeh was known for his forthright opinions and critiques of government policy. In his final television interview in March 2025, he urged President Bola Tinubu to seek dialogue rather than impose emergency rule in Rivers State, warning against unrest in the Niger Delta.
President Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, praised Ogbeh’s “intellectual contributions to policy formulation” and described him as “a patriot whose wisdom and dedication left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s political landscape.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo hailed him as a peace-loving democrat whose career spanned both military and civilian administrations. “Chief Audu Ogbeh will be missed for his unwavering commitment to governance and democracy,” Obasanjo said.
