Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed deep shock and sadness over the death of former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh.

Ogbeh, who died on Saturday, was described by Obasanjo as a peace-loving, unassuming, and committed patriot, as well as a firm believer in democracy and participatory governance.

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, from Uganda where he is currently on a visit, the former president paid tribute to the late politician’s decades-long career spanning both military and democratic eras.

“To this extent, he was the Deputy Speaker in the Plateau House of Assembly in the 1970s, Minister of Communications from 1982 to 1983, Chairman of the PDP from 2001 to 2005, and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security from 2015 to 2019. All of these serve as evidence of his faith in the prospects of participatory politics,” Obasanjo said.

He noted that Ogbeh earned an “impressive profile of immense goodwill and affection” among his people, rising to prominence as both a frontline politician and community leader.

“Chief Audu Ogbeh will be missed for his unwavering commitment to politics, governance, and democracy, as he made significant contributions to the re-establishment of democracy in Nigeria. His place will be very difficult to fill within his community, the state, the party, and the nation,” Obasanjo added.

The former president prayed for divine comfort for Ogbeh’s wife and family and for the repose of his soul.