🔗 Share this article Student Society President-Elect Removed Following Conservative Activist Comments The activist and student leader participated in a discussion at the student society in May The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after failing a vote of confidence that followed his disputed social media posts about the conservative activist. The vote against the student leader achieved the required two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society. Contentious Posts The controversy erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on online platforms that appeared to welcome the death of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while addressing 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 student leader is also reported to have posted in a WhatsApp chat with fellow students seeming to welcome the incident. Vote Outcome The no-confidence motion took place over the weekend, with results revealed on this week. Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of no confidence, while 501 were against the motion. The notice confirmed that the future president was considered to have stepped down in following the Oxford Union's rules. The student society announced the outcome of the confidence motion on this week Procedural Disputes Voting operations were informally suspended early on the previous day after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals. In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the count had been halted because election administrators believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of process errors". His response unequivocally denied that any representative appointed by George had engaged in threatening or obstructive conduct. Ongoing Dispute The president-elect maintained that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he continued as president-elect. His comment added that George was "proud and thankful to have the support of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who supported a "secure voting process and resist attempts to subvert democracy". Critics have argued that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the society has prioritized politics over principles". The conservative activist was fatally shot while speaking at a college in September External Reactions On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff read out an open letter to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show broadcast. The letter criticized the society of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a political opponent". The communication indicated 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 urge them never again to lend their name". The Oxford Union had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's remarks after the activist's killing and confirmed that concerns filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings. The student leader had been one of multiple members to debate with the activist at the society in spring.