🔗 Share this article

The future president of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after failing a no-confidence vote that followed his disputed online comments about the conservative activist.

The motion against George Abaraonye reached the required two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society.

Contentious Posts

The dispute erupted after the student reportedly posted messages on social media that appeared to welcome the killing of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while addressing a college in the United States.

According to reports, one Instagram post reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.

The student leader is also reported to have written in a WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to welcome the incident.

Vote Outcome

The no-confidence motion took place over the recent days, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.

Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.

The announcement confirmed that the president-elect was considered to have resigned in accordance with the society's regulations.

Election Controversies

Voting operations were informally suspended early on the previous day after the returning officer was reportedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.

In a response, the student asserted that the count had been halted because election administrators believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His response categorically refuted that any person appointed by the student had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Ongoing Dispute

The president-elect stated that significant concerns had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he remained president-elect.

His statement added that he was "proud and thankful to have the backing of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who voted to have a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Opponents have argued that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles".

External Responses

On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff read out an public message to the Oxford Union on a related program podcast.

The letter accused the union of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".

The statement indicated that if the student were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "directly reach out to every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".

The society had previously criticized Mr Abaraonye's remarks after Kirk's death and confirmed that concerns filed against him had been referred for official review.

The president-elect had been one of several students to discuss with the activist at the society in May.