🔗 Share this article

The president-elect of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after failing a vote of confidence that came after his disputed social media posts about the conservative activist.

The motion against the student leader achieved the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an statement from the society.

Disputed Comments

The controversy erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on social media that seemed to celebrate the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead while speaking at a college in the United States.

According to sources, one social media message reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.

The president-elect is also said to have posted in a WhatsApp chat with other members appearing to welcome the incident.

Vote Outcome

The no-confidence motion was conducted over the recent days, with results revealed on this week.

Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.

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

Procedural Disputes

Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.

In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the count had been halted because electoral officials believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His statement unequivocally denied that any person acting for George had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Continuing Controversy

The president-elect stated that extremely serious issues had been submitted to the governing body and that he remained the elected leader.

His statement added that he was "grateful and honored to have the backing of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "safe election and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

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

External Responses

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

The message accused the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a ideological rival".

The communication warned that if Mr Abaraonye were to remain in post, supporters would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name".

The Oxford Union had previously criticized the student's remarks after Kirk's death and stated that complaints filed against him had been referred for official review.

The student leader had been one of several students to discuss with the activist at the union in spring.