🔗 Share this article

The future president of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a vote of confidence that came after his disputed online comments about the conservative activist.

The vote against the student leader achieved the required two-thirds threshold to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the organization.

Disputed Comments

The dispute erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on online platforms that seemed to celebrate the killing of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while speaking at a college in the United States.

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

The student leader is also reported to have posted in a messaging group with other members appearing to welcome the incident.

Election Results

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

Official notices showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.

The notice stated that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in following the society's regulations.

Election Controversies

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

In a statement, the student claimed that the vote tally had been stopped 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 acting for George had participated in threatening or obstructive conduct.

Continuing Controversy

The student maintained that extremely serious issues had been submitted to the disciplinary committee and that he continued as president-elect.

His comment added that George was "proud and thankful to have the backing of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Opponents have said that any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity".

External Responses

On Friday, Mikey McCoy read out an open letter to the society on a related program broadcast.

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

The statement warned that if the student were to remain in post, supporters 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 Oxford Union had previously criticized the student's remarks after Kirk's death and stated that complaints submitted about 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.