Oxford Union President-Elect Ousted

The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been ousted following outrage over his apparent celebration of Charlie Kirk’s shooting.

George Abaraonye, who was due to take over as president of the 202-year-old debating society next term, was forced out following a vote on Saturday.

The Oxford Union published the results of the vote on Tuesday morning. Of 1,746 votes cast, 1,228 were in favour of no-confidence, meaning the no-confidence motion carried. Rules state that at least two-thirds of valid votes must be cast in favour for the motion to be passed.

The debating society was engulfed in a free speech row when The Telegraph revealed in September that Abaraonye had shared messages in which he appeared to celebrate the lethal attack on Kirk, a Right-wing US influencer.

Sources claimed that close to 1,000 life members of the Oxford Union subsequently registered proxy votes against the philosophy, politics and economics student in an organised push to oust him last week.

The outcome of the vote was to have been published on Sunday but the process was delayed over identity checks on proxy votes submitted by alumni.

A notice posted at the Oxford Union on Tuesday read: “As this threshold has been met, the motion of no confidence has been carried.”

Oxford Union officials told The Telegraph the vote count had descended into chaos as they had to check the identity of every proxy vote manually.

The process was temporarily suspended on Monday morning after the Oxford Union’s extraordinary returning officer claimed he was “subjected to obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility by a number of representatives”.

Abaraonye, 20, contested the results, claiming he “remains the president-elect”. He claimed the poll was “compromised” and he did not know “if or how many proxy votes have been tampered with”.

In September, the final-year student at University College, Oxford, sent texts to a chat group, including one saying, “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f------ go”, a common celebratory phrase among Gen Z.

Another message, believed to be sent from his Instagram account, said: “Charlie Kirk got shot loool.”

Abaraonye debated with Kirk in the Oxford Union chamber months earlier, with the pair exchanging views on marriage, gender norms and toxic masculinity.

Abaraonye has since apologised and retracted his remarks, but his refusal to step away angered many alumni.

The student took the unusual step of bringing a no-confidence motion in himself last Monday, which he told The Telegraph was an attempt to “reclaim a process of true accountability” and force the debate back “into our chambers, a space built for free speech”.

Critics claimed that alumni had planned to submit a motion of no confidence the following day, and Abaraonye was trying to get the upper hand.

On Tuesday night, the union was plunged into further chaos after a no-confidence motion was brought against the current president Moosa Harraj.

Members will be able to vote in person from 11am until 7pm on Thursday October 23, or by proxy by emailing the returning officer.

There was a widespread backlash over the student’s remarks about Kirk, which The Telegraph revealed had prompted dozens of scheduled speakers to pull out and a £500,000 donation to be put on hold.

Kirk’s allies threatened to lead a boycott of the Oxford Union unless Abaraonye resigned.

In an open letter read out on last Friday’s episode of The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, three of Kirk’s closest friends said they would “personally contact every American political speaker who has ever graced the union’s chamber and urge them never again to lend their name, time or reputation to that institution that has betrayed its founding ideals”.

It would have raised questions over speaking events scheduled to take place in the coming months, including an appearance by Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s former vice-president.

Abaraonye claimed that the debate over his future at the Oxford Union had been hijacked by racist remarks and “violent and extreme rhetoric”, which he said had resulted in threats to his family.

In a statement to The Telegraph last week, he said: “The union is a formative space where students learn, often through error. Making a mistake and growing from it is part of the university experience. For members who know me or have engaged with me since, I hope they see that growth and my commitment to the role.

“Ultimately, the specific outcome [of the vote] is secondary to the principle. The goal is to demonstrate that the Oxford Union will not be bullied by cancel culture and will stand firm in its commitment to free speech, a fair process and reasoned debate.”

After the results were announced, Abaraonye’s team released a statement which read: “This poll was compromised from the moment Moosa Harraj [president of the Oxford Union] and his majority on the Standing Committee brought compromised and untested Poll Regulations.

“George is proud and thankful to have the support of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford, who voted to have a safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy.”