Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Oxford Union president-elect, George Abaraonye, has been ousted following a vote of no confidence triggered by backlash over his social media comments appearing to celebrate the death of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The historic debating society announced that the motion against Abaraonye met the required two-thirds threshold to remove him from office. According to a notice published by extraordinary returning officer Donovan Lock, 1,228 ballots were cast in favour of no confidence, while 501 were against. The announcement stated that, under Oxford Union rules, the president-elect was therefore “deemed to have resigned.”
The controversy began after Abaraonye reportedly posted messages online following Kirk’s fatal shooting at a university in Utah in September. According to The Telegraph, one Instagram post read, “Charlie Kirk got shot loool,” using an extended version of “lol” – shorthand for “laughing out loud.” Screenshots circulating among Oxford students also appeared to show Abaraonye making similar comments in a WhatsApp group chat.
Kirk, a high-profile right-wing commentator and close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, was speaking at a Utah university event when he was shot dead. His death sparked strong reactions across political lines, and Abaraonye’s remarks quickly drew criticism from Oxford Union members and the wider public.
Amid growing pressure, Abaraonye announced last week that he had submitted a motion of no confidence in himself, with voting taking place over the weekend. However, the count was mired in tension. A notice released on Monday stated that proceedings had been “informally suspended” after the returning officer allegedly faced “obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility by a number of representatives.”
In a statement issued afterward, Abaraonye disputed the results, claiming the count was halted because officials believed “no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures.” He further alleged that campaigners seeking his removal had “unsupervised access” to the email account collecting proxy ballots.
“We unequivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimidating or disruptive behaviour,” the statement read, adding that the “extremely serious issues” had been referred to the Union’s disciplinary committee. Abaraonye insisted he remained the rightful president-elect and thanked what he described as the “majority of Oxford students” who supported him.
Meanwhile, another vote of no confidence was called on Tuesday — this time against the current Union president, Moosa Harraj. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Union said all members would be eligible to decide whether Harraj should “be removed as an officer of the society.”
The fallout has drawn attention beyond Oxford. On Friday, Mikey McCoy, Kirk’s former chief of staff, read an open letter to the Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, accusing the institution of becoming a place “where presidents publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent.” The letter warned that if Abaraonye were to remain in post, Kirk’s allies would urge American political speakers to boycott the Oxford Union altogether.
In an earlier statement, the Union condemned Abaraonye’s remarks following Kirk’s death but later also denounced the racial abuse and threats directed at him amid the controversy.
Abaraonye had previously debated Kirk at the Oxford Union in May, months before the U.S. activist’s death. His removal marks one of the most dramatic leadership crises in the Union’s recent history, reigniting debates over free speech, accountability, and online conduct within one of Britain’s oldest debating institutions.