Utazi, who is currently representing Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly for the second term, had on Sunday, while addressing delegates and other stakeholders to the Peoples Democratic Party primary elections from the Enugu North Senatorial District, said he would not contest the Senatorial position for the third time.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Primary Health and Communicable Disease, Senator Chukwuka Utazi has dropped his ambition to return to the red chamber in 2023 amid pressure.
Utazi, who is currently representing Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly for the second term, had on Sunday, while addressing delegates and other stakeholders to the Peoples Democratic Party primary elections from the Enugu North Senatorial District, said he would not contest the Senatorial position for the third time.
His decision not to contest, sources said, is not unconnected with pressures mounted on him to shelve his third term ambition so as to pave way for the emergence of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
It is believed that the development would alter the rotational arrangement among the federal constituencies that make up the zone which include; Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, represented by Dr Pat Asadu; Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency, represented by Martins Oke; Igbo-Eze North/ Udenu, which is Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s Federal Constituency, currently represented by, Hon. Simon Atigwe.
The federal lawmaker was reported to have said the decision was to promote the existing peace in Enugu North Senatorial district in particular and Enugu State in general.
“We will follow our brother and leader; we are going to be behind you; and pray that God will guide you to take these decisions. We are here to give you reassurance that it is ordained by God that you do the things you are supposed to do. We are going to continue this support at the voting level during the general elections," he said.
Earlier, while addressing the PDP faithful comprising members of the National and State Assemblies from Enugu North Senatorial District, the six Council Chairmen, members of the State Excos from the zone and all the principal officers of the PDP at the Local Government and ward levels, the Zonal Chairman (Enugu North Senatorial District), Nze Michael Onyeze, disclosed that meeting was for the party delegates from Enugu North Senatorial District to renew their stance and reassure Ugwuanyi of their support for his choice of party candidates.
However, sources added that Senator Utazi had been offered a deputy governor’s position to Ugwuanyi's successor who will likely come from the Enugu East Senatorial zone.