President Bola Tinubu and former President Olusegun Obasanjo have described the passing of former Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh as painful, saying the place of the “patriot” and “firm believer in democracy” will be hard to fill.
In a statement on Saturday, Tinubu expressed his sympathies to the government and people of Benue State on the passing of Ogbeh.
The former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) died at the age of 78 on Saturday, his family announced.
Tinubu acknowledged “Ogbeh’s intellectual contributions to policy formulation and his articulation of practical solutions to complex national challenges”.
“Chief Audu Ogbeh was a patriot whose wisdom, dedication, and pursuit of progress left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s political landscape. He was always ready with facts and figures to support his propositions.
“The nation will sorely miss his insightful perspectives and wealth of experience,” the president’s aide Bayo Onanuga said.
Also, Obasanjo has expressed shock and sadness at the demise of Ogbeh.
He described the late minister as a peace-loving, unassuming, committed patriot and a firm believer in democracy and participatory governance.
Obasanjo said the former PDP leader was “a man whose political career stretched from the military era through the present democratic dispensation”.
“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,” he said.
Similarly, the 19 northern governors in Nigeria described Ogbeh as a towering political figure, a statesman of uncommon intellect, and an iconic son of Northern Nigeria who devoted his life to national development and public service.
In a statement on behalf of his colleagues, Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa said Ogbeh was “an accomplished leader, a seasoned politician and a multifaceted scholar whose contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey and development will remain etched in history”.
The Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Nenadi Usman, described Ogbeh as a principled and patriotic public servant who served Nigeria with distinction in various capacities.
“On a personal note, I have lost a father and a mentor. From when I met him till his passing, Chief Ogbeh never wavered in his readiness to offer wise counsel and guidance whenever called upon.
“While we mourn this illustrious Nigerian, we must take solace in the fact that Chief Ogbeh lived a truly fulfilled life,” she said.