🔗 Share this article Oxford Union Future Leader Ousted Following Charlie Kirk Comments The activist and student leader participated in a debate at the student society in May The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a vote of confidence that followed his disputed online comments about the conservative activist. The motion against George Abaraonye achieved the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society. Disputed Comments The controversy began after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on online platforms that appeared to welcome the killing of the American conservative figure, who was shot dead while addressing a university in Utah. According to sources, one Instagram post reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version of the phrase 'lol'. The student leader is also said to have written in a WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to express approval of the event. Vote Outcome The no-confidence motion took place over the weekend, with outcomes revealed on this week. Society announcements indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting removal, while 501 were against the motion. The announcement stated that the president-elect was considered to have stepped down in accordance with the society's regulations. The student society shared the outcome of the no-confidence vote on Tuesday morning Election Controversies Proceedings were informally suspended early on the previous day after the election official was allegedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from several representatives. In a response, 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 process errors". His response unequivocally denied that any representative acting for the student had engaged in threatening or obstructive conduct. Ongoing Dispute The president-elect stated that significant concerns had been submitted to the disciplinary committee and that he remained president-elect. His statement added that George was "grateful and honored to have the backing of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who supported a "safe election and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process". Opponents have said that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity". Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at a college in last month External Reactions On Friday, Mikey McCoy presented an public message to the society on a related program broadcast. The message accused the society of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union publicly celebrate the killing of a ideological rival". The statement indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, Kirk's allies would "directly reach out to every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name". The Oxford Union had earlier condemned the student's comments after the activist's killing and confirmed 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.