Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and one-time National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, has died at the age of 78.
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In a statement released on Saturday, August 9, 2025, the Ogbeh family said the elder statesman passed away peacefully. They described his death as a painful loss and requested privacy during the mourning period, adding that details of the funeral will be announced later.
Born in Otukpo, Benue State, Ogbeh attended Ahmadu Bello University before furthering his education at the University of Toulouse in France. He began his public service career in Benue State, where he served as Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and later held ministerial roles as Minister of Communications and Minister of Steel Development.
A founding member of the PDP, Ogbeh served as the party’s National Chairman from 2001 to 2005. In 2015, he returned to federal service when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, a position he held until 2019.
Outside politics, Ogbeh made his mark in academia and the arts, authoring plays such as Epitaph of Simon Kisulu, which was staged at the Muson Centre in 2002.
