Student Society Future Leader Ousted Due to Charlie Kirk Comments
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 achieved the necessary super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the society.
Disputed Comments
The dispute began after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on social media that appeared to welcome the killing of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while addressing a college in Utah.
According to sources, one social media message reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version of the phrase 'lol'.
The president-elect is also reported to have written in a WhatsApp chat with other members appearing to welcome the incident.
Election Results
The vote of confidence was conducted over the weekend, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.
Official notices showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast supporting no confidence, while just over five hundred were against the motion.
The announcement confirmed that the future president was deemed to have resigned in following the society's regulations.
Election Controversies
Voting operations were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a response, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the vote tally had been stopped because electoral officials believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of process errors".
His statement unequivocally denied that any person appointed by George had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Ongoing Dispute
The president-elect maintained that extremely serious issues had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he remained president-elect.
His statement added that he was "proud and thankful to have the backing of well in excess of a majority of university members" who voted to have a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Critics have said that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles".
External Reactions
On recently, Mikey McCoy read out an public message to the Oxford Union on a related program broadcast.
The message criticized the society of becoming a place where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a ideological rival".
The communication indicated that if the student were to keep his position, supporters would "directly reach out to every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name".
The Oxford Union had earlier condemned the student's remarks after the activist's killing and stated that complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.
The student leader had been one of multiple members to discuss with Kirk at the union in May.