Oxford Union president-elect George Abaraonye has refused to relinquish his position following a disputed no-confidence vote that was suspended over alleged procedural breaches.
In a statement released Monday, Abaraonye said the poll was “compromised from the moment” it began and accused Union officials of mishandling the process. He alleged that individuals campaigning for his removal had unsupervised access to an email account collecting proxy votes. “We do not know if or how many proxy votes have been tampered with,” the statement read.
The Union’s Electoral Officials reportedly suspended the count, citing “unresolved procedural concerns” and saying, “no result is possible.” Abaraonye said he continues to serve as president-elect “per the Oxford Union Rules” until the disciplinary committee resolves the dispute.
"The Union’s Electoral Officials suspended the count because they believed that no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures. We equivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimidating or disruptive behaviour. The reason for the suspension was Donovan Lock himself saying “No result is possible” due to unresolved procedural concerns. The official audio recording confirms this, and the representatives for the Yes campaign have confirmed this too.
"Because of these extremely serious issues, on Monday afternoon before any ballots had been counted, the matter was referred to the disciplinary committee by the No Campaign. Under Rule 47(h)(v), this purported result is suspended until that Committee and any Disciplinary Appeals Committee has resolved the complaint. George Abaraonye is and remains the President-Elect per the Oxford Union Rules," it states.
The decision comes amid ongoing fallout from Abaraonye’s earlier remarks celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk. In messages posted last month, Abaraonye wrote, “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f*cking go,” and shared similar comments on Instagram. He later apologized, calling his reaction “impulsive” and saying it “did not reflect my values.”
The Union’s leadership has publicly condemned Abaraonye’s remarks. Current president Moosa Harraj said the administration “firmly opposes all forms of political violence” and is “entirely independent from Mr. Abaraonye’s administration.”
Critics inside the Union say the ongoing crisis damaging the society’s credibility. In response to Abaraonye’s refusal to step aside, one member said he “has no sense at all of the damage he has done and is doing to the standing and reputation of the Society.”
In a statement released Monday, Abaraonye said the poll was “compromised from the moment” it began and accused Union officials of mishandling the process. He alleged that individuals campaigning for his removal had unsupervised access to an email account collecting proxy votes. “We do not know if or how many proxy votes have been tampered with,” the statement read.
The Union’s Electoral Officials reportedly suspended the count, citing “unresolved procedural concerns” and saying, “no result is possible.” Abaraonye said he continues to serve as president-elect “per the Oxford Union Rules” until the disciplinary committee resolves the dispute.
"The Union’s Electoral Officials suspended the count because they believed that no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures. We equivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimidating or disruptive behaviour. The reason for the suspension was Donovan Lock himself saying “No result is possible” due to unresolved procedural concerns. The official audio recording confirms this, and the representatives for the Yes campaign have confirmed this too.
"Because of these extremely serious issues, on Monday afternoon before any ballots had been counted, the matter was referred to the disciplinary committee by the No Campaign. Under Rule 47(h)(v), this purported result is suspended until that Committee and any Disciplinary Appeals Committee has resolved the complaint. George Abaraonye is and remains the President-Elect per the Oxford Union Rules," it states.
The decision comes amid ongoing fallout from Abaraonye’s earlier remarks celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk. In messages posted last month, Abaraonye wrote, “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f*cking go,” and shared similar comments on Instagram. He later apologized, calling his reaction “impulsive” and saying it “did not reflect my values.”
The Union’s leadership has publicly condemned Abaraonye’s remarks. Current president Moosa Harraj said the administration “firmly opposes all forms of political violence” and is “entirely independent from Mr. Abaraonye’s administration.”
Critics inside the Union say the ongoing crisis damaging the society’s credibility. In response to Abaraonye’s refusal to step aside, one member said he “has no sense at all of the damage he has done and is doing to the standing and reputation of the Society.”
