George Abaraonye loses Oxford Union no-confidence vote after backlash over comments appearing to celebrate the death of US activist Charlie Kirk
George Abaraonye no-confidence vote has resulted in the removal of the Oxford Union’s president-elect after a motion against him passed with the required two-thirds majority, following criticism over comments he allegedly made about the death of US activist Charlie Kirk.
Also read: Trump leads tributes at Charlie Kirk memorial service
The student society confirmed that 1,228 ballots were cast in favour of no confidence, with 501 opposing the motion, effectively ousting Abaraonye from his post.
The controversy stems from a social media post in which Mr Abaraonye reportedly appeared to mock the fatal shooting of Kirk, a prominent conservative and ally of former US President Donald Trump, who was killed while speaking at a Utah university in September.
According to reports, Abaraonye posted the message “Charlie Kirk got shot loool” on Instagram and made similar remarks in a WhatsApp group chat with fellow students.
In response to mounting backlash, Mr Abaraonye had last week submitted a motion of no confidence in himself, with voting taking place over the weekend. However, he is now disputing the outcome, claiming the process was compromised.
Speaking to the BBC, he alleged that individuals campaigning for his removal had “unsupervised access” to the email account used for collecting proxy ballots.
A notice from extraordinary returning officer Donovan Lock confirmed the result and stated that, under the Oxford Union’s rules, Abaraonye was deemed to have resigned.
However, Abaraonye’s camp maintains that the result is invalid. In a statement, they argued the vote count was halted because officials believed “no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures.”
“We unequivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimidating or disruptive behaviour,” the statement read, adding that “extremely serious issues” had been referred to the disciplinary committee.
Mr Abaraonye insisted he remained president-elect, claiming support from “well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford” who opposed what he described as an attempt to “subvert democracy.”
The Oxford Union has said that if complaints or allegations arise, the result will remain pending until their resolution.
The row has drawn international attention, with Mikey McCoy, former chief of staff to Charlie Kirk, condemning the Union during The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
McCoy read an open letter accusing the society of allowing “presidents to publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent.”
The letter warned that if Abaraonye were reinstated, Kirk’s allies would urge American speakers to boycott the Oxford Union.
In earlier statements, the Union condemned both Abaraonye’s remarks and the racial abuse directed at him following the controversy, acknowledging the complexity of the fallout surrounding the case.
Also read: Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk delivers emotional livestream tribute
The scandal has reignited debate over free speech, accountability, and political culture within one of the world’s oldest debating societies.
