Oxford Union Election in Turmoil as George Abaraonye Claims Presidency Still Secure
Chaos has erupted at the Oxford Union after George Abaraonye, 20, claimed he remains the society’s chairman-elect despite a no-confidence vote that appeared to oust him in a landslide.
The debate society, known for its prestigious history and high-profile speakers, is now bogged in contestation over claims of compromised voting procedures and allegations of ballot tampering.
“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.
Donovan Lock, who ran the election, shared the email account collecting proxy votes, including personnel who campaigned to have George ousted, who had unsupervised access.
We do not know if or how many proxy votes have been tampered with. 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.
❗️IT’S OFFICIAL: George Abaraonye has been ousted as Oxford Union president.
1228 members voted in favor of removal, compared to 501 who voted against.
This meets the required two-thirds majority.
Thank you to all who voted and made their voice heard.
For Charlie. pic.twitter.com/J7KLDgtQiC
— Allum Bokhari (@AllumBokhari) October 21, 2025
We equivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.”
In a statement to GB News, Mr Abaraonye emphasized: “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.”
The no-confidence vote, which was scheduled to determine whether Mr Abaraonye should retain his position, was temporarily suspended.
Reports indicated that extraordinary returning officer Donovan Lock faced alleged “obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility” during the counting process.
Mr Abaraonye, however, says the suspension came not from intimidation but because Mr Lock determined “no result [was] possible” due to unresolved procedural concerns.
He added: “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 have resolved the complaint. George Abaraonye is and remains the President-Elect per the Oxford Union Rules.”
The row has cast a shadow over the Union’s electoral process, raising questions about governance and transparency.
Scholars are now left waiting for correctional panels to deliver a ruling that may determine the final outcome of one of Oxford’s most high-profile pupil choices.
With the debate society’s future leadership uncertain, Mr Abaraonye remains steadfast, asserting his right to the presidency and signaling that he will continue to fight for what he describes as a “safe and democratic election.”
