🔗 Share this article

The future president of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after losing a no-confidence vote that followed his controversial online comments about Charlie Kirk.

The vote against George Abaraonye reached the required two-thirds threshold to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the organization.

Disputed Comments

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

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

The president-elect is also reported to have written in a WhatsApp chat with fellow students seeming to welcome the incident.

Election Results

The vote of confidence took place over the recent days, with outcomes announced on this week.

Official notices indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of no confidence, while just over five hundred were against the motion.

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

Election Controversies

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

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

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

Continuing Controversy

The president-elect stated that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he continued as the elected leader.

His comment added that he was "grateful and honored to have the support of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Critics have argued that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the society has chosen ideology over integrity".

External Reactions

On Friday, Mikey McCoy presented an public message to the society on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.

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

The statement indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever spoken at the society and advise them against future participation".

The Oxford Union had earlier criticized Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and stated that complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.

The president-elect had been one of multiple members to debate with Kirk at the union in May.