The ousted Oxford Union President-elect has lost his appeal against the no-confidence vote. Democracy is a cruel old thing…
George Abaraonye filed a formal appeal in the middle of this month which has now been dismissed. The Union’s Senior Disciplinary Committee held a formal hearing and was “not satisfied that the complainants had proven that the result of the Poll of No Confidence in Mr Abaraonye is unsafe.” There is no re-count and no re-poll, which means it’s all over…
“The Committee finds that the effect of the No Confidence poll in Mr Abaraonye is that Mr Abaraonye is deemed to have resigned from the office of President-Elect as at the announcement of the result on 21st October 2025.”
Game over…
Read the full conclusion of the committee below:
“The Poll of No Confidence
The Committee is not satisfied that the complainants have proven that the result of the Poll of No Confidence in Mr Abaraonye is unsafe
Accordingly, the Committee does not exercise its powers under Rule 47(g)(iv)(2) to order a re-Poll, order a re-Count, substitute any fair result as it sees fit, or make such arrangements for a re-Poll as it sees fit
The Committee confirms the result of the Poll of No Confidence is as declared on 21 October 2025
Mr Abaraonye is directly implicated in the challenge to the Poll of No Confidence sought in the Abaraonye Complaint and the Ayodeji Complaint. By analogy with Rule 33(h)(ii), Mr Abaraonye is prevented from entering the office of President and the powers of President, but not the Office, shall devolve to the Returning Officer from the time Mr Abaraonye would otherwise enter the office of President for the duration of any period whereby Mr Abaraonye’s deemed resignation is suspended pursuant to Rule 47(g)(vi)(2).
SuccessionThe Committee finds that the effect of the No Confidence poll in Mr Abaraonye is that Mr Abaraonye is deemed to have resigned from the office of President-Elect as at the announcement of the result on 21st October 2025
Mr Abaraonye’s deemed resignation was suspended pending the resolution of disciplinary complaints concerning the validity of the poll. This suspension did not change the date of the deemed resignation and resulting vacancy which remains 21st October 2025″
