Oxford Union President-Elect Removed Due to Charlie Kirk Posts
The future president of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after failing a vote of confidence that came after his controversial social media posts about Charlie Kirk.
The motion against the student leader reached the necessary super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the society.
Contentious Posts
The controversy erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on online platforms that appeared to celebrate the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at a university in Utah.
According to sources, one social media message reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the phrase 'lol'.
The president-elect is also said to have posted in a WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to welcome the incident.
Election Results
The no-confidence motion was conducted over the weekend, with outcomes revealed on this week.
Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting removal, while just over five hundred were against the motion.
The announcement stated that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.
Procedural Disputes
Proceedings were temporarily halted early on Monday after the election official was reportedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from several representatives.
In a statement, the student claimed that the vote tally had been stopped because electoral officials believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His response categorically refuted that any representative appointed by George had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Continuing Controversy
The student stated that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he remained president-elect.
His statement added that he was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of university members" who supported a "safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy".
Critics have argued that any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles".
External Reactions
On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an public message to the society on a related program broadcast.
The letter accused the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".
The communication indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to remain in post, supporters would "directly reach out to every U.S. political figure who has ever spoken at the society and urge them never again to lend their name".
The Oxford Union had earlier criticized Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and stated that complaints filed against him had been referred for official review.
The president-elect had been one of several students to discuss with Kirk at the society in spring.