Baroness Patricia Scotland today (June 24) officially staved off the challenge from Kamina Johnson Smith to remain Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

According to reports emerging out of Kigali, Rwanda, where the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is being staged, Scotland held a narrow three-vote lead to retain her position ahead of challengers Johnson Smith from Jamaica and Tuvaluan Iakoba Italeli.

Results and votes are as follows:

Johnson Smith, conceding defeat, argued on Twitter that perhaps ‘God wasn’t yet ready’ for her to leave Jamaica.

The foreign affairs minister, while thanking countries that supported her candidature, extended congratulations to Scotland.

“Thanking all the countries and people who supported me in this journey! As I said to many of you – if I didn’t pull through, God wasn’t ready for me to leave Jamaica yet! Much love always, I continue to serve, and of course, sincere congratulations to Baroness Scotland. #OneLove,” she tweeted.

The incumbent secretary-general, in her reply to Johnson Smith’s concession tweet, wrote: “Thank you for your gracious congratulations and I am looking forward to working with you closely in the years to come. I am sure you will achieve great things by God’s grace.”