He began politics when he was elected the Vice President of the Students Union Government at the College of Education, Awka. He was also a member of the House of Representatives of the Students Union Government at the University of Nigeria. His career in politics blossomed, he went on to be elected into the Old Enugu State House of Assembly to represent Uzo-Uwani South Constituency in December 1991 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Upon the inauguration of the House, Hon. Utazi was elected Deputy Speaker of the House.  He thus became the official leader of the opposition to the ruling National Republican Convention (NRC) government of Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo in the State.  In that capacity, he was the Coordinator of the campaign of Chief Moshood Abiola, the SDP presidential flag bearer and the presumed winner of June 12, 1993, presidential elections in the State. He held this position until November 1993 when the military, through a putsch led by General Sani Abacha dissolved all elected political structures across the country.

Subsequently, he was elected the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu Depot Unit, and also the Legal Adviser to the Association in the South-East Zone. HE was later elected as Chairman of the Association in the South-East Zonal chapter. Governor Sullivan Chime appointed Utazi his Senior Special Assistant on Legislative and Labour Matters in 2007.  After the General elections in 2011, the Governor made him the Commissioner for Intergovernmental Affairs and later, Commissioner for Transport. He resigned from that position in 2014 to contest as the Senatorial Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to represent the Enugu North Senatorial District. He won and was inaugurated on June 9, 2015.

He will be resigning from his position as the senator representing the Enugu North Senatorial District in the upcoming 2023 election.