Young people have played crucial roles in shaping the political discourse in Nigeria, both negatively and positively. Picking electoral violence as a negative component of this political engagement, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis as to why young people find themselves enmeshed in violent contestations, especially during election periods. The paper goes beyond superficial labels of criticisms tagged on the Nigerian youth by arguing that there is urgent need to understand the structural dynamics which condition violence. Using theoretical constructions by prominent scholars like Douglas North et al. (2014), Huerta (2015) etc., the paper provides lucid political economy explanations of youthrsquos engagement in electoral violence. Again, the paper analyses youthrsquos participation in electoral violence in Nigeria and concludes by providing key recommendations to the various stakeholders, including political parties, electoral management bodies, CSOs and governments on how to dissuade young people from participating in electoral violence.