Deborah Akinyosoye
President Bola Tinubu has condoled with the government and people of Benue State on the passing of Chief Audu Ogbeh, the former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, stated that Tinubu acknowledged Chief Ogbeh’s intellectual contributions to policy formulation and his articulation of practical solutions to complex national challenges.
According to the statement, the President recognised that Chief Ogbeh, who joined politics in the 70s as a legislator, was a founding member of the All Progressives Congress.
“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,” President Tinubu was quoted to have said.
The President prayed that the Almighty God will receive the departed’s soul and comfort his family.
President Tinubu also commiserated with the late statesman’s family, friends and associates.
Also, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who is currently on a visit to Uganda, expressed sadness over Ogbeh’s death.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Saturday, Obasanjo described the late minister as peace-loving, unassuming, committed, and a firm believer in democracy.
He said Ogbeh was “a man whose political career stretched from the military era through the present democratic dispensation.
“He was the Deputy Speaker in the Plateau House of Assembly in the 1970s, Minister of Communications from 1982 to 1983, Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (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.
“Ever since, he built for himself an impressive profile of immense goodwill and affection among his people as 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.
“May God console his wife and the entire family. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”