🔗 Share this article

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

The vote against the student leader reached the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the organization.

Disputed Comments

The controversy began after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on online platforms that seemed to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead while addressing a college in Utah.

According to sources, one social media message reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the phrase 'lol'.

The student leader is also reported to have written in a messaging group with fellow students appearing to welcome the incident.

Vote Outcome

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

Society announcements indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of no confidence, while 501 were against the motion.

The announcement confirmed that the future president was considered to have resigned in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.

Procedural Disputes

Voting operations were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from several representatives.

In a response, Mr Abaraonye claimed that the vote tally had been halted because election administrators believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His statement unequivocally denied that any representative appointed by George had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Ongoing Dispute

The student stated that significant concerns had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he remained the elected leader.

His statement added that George was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "secure voting process and resist attempts to subvert democracy".

Critics have argued that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the society has prioritized politics over principles".

External Reactions

On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an open letter to the society on a related program podcast.

The message criticized the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".

The statement indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, supporters would "personally contact every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".

The Oxford Union had earlier criticized the student's comments after the activist's killing and stated that complaints submitted about him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.

The student leader had been one of multiple members to debate with the activist at the union in spring.