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fter months of speculation, weeks full of red herrings and last-minute changes on all sides, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was the first to reveal his cards, announcing his coalition’s final decision to endorse the nation’s top cleric, Ma’ruf Amin, as his vice-presidential candidate, a day before the candidate registration deadline.

Later, before midnight, Jokowi’s challenger, Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto, introduced outgoing Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno as his running mate at his residence in South Jakarta, a decision that upset Democratic Party elites but left them with no better option than to stay in the coalition.

The elites of nine political parties backing Jokowi’s candidacy and journalists had gathered at an upscale Indonesian restaurant in Menteng, Central Jakarta, since Thursday afternoon, but rumor had it since the morning that Jokowi had made up his mind and had picked former Constitutional Court chief Mahfud MD, who is associated with of the country’s largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), as his running mate.

Reports that Mahfud was Jokowi’s pick were not groundless. Mahfud had reportedly processed the required documents for candidate registration with the Sleman District Court in Yogyakarta and was waiting at a restaurant close to the one where the coalition and Jokowi met, even sporting Jokowi’s dresscode of a white shirt. It also matched the latest hint by the Jokowi camp that the vice presidential nominee went by the initial “M”.

Taking his time reading from a script in an after-dusk press conference, Jokowi announced his running mate. It turned out to be Ma’ruf Amin, the 75-year-old chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and supreme leader (rais aam) of the NU, a figure many believe was forced upon him by coalition elites, and a choice that reveals a power struggle within the Jokowi coalition.

A number of political parties in his coalition reportedly rejected Mahfud, presumably because they did not want him to emerge as a strong contender, as an incumbent, in the 2024 presidential election — a race to which many have put their mind. Ma’ruf, who will turn 80 in 2024, is unlikely to run as a presidential candidate.

“This is a major political defeat for Jokowi. [...] Instead of proving his new autonomy, he showcased his continued dependence on his supporting parties,” Australian National University political scientist Marcus Mietzner said on Thursday.

“He selected Mahfud after long, agonising months, but he wrongly believed he could leave it to his assistants to clear the way for his pick before the final meeting of the party chairs, and that he could just walk into that meeting for a formal declaration,” he said, adding that, “Jokowi was ambushed.”

Ma’ruf might not be Jokowi’s personal choice, but he was not necessarily a bad pick for Jokowi’s campaign. At the end of the day, Jokowi kept his sizeable coalition intact and secured support to woo the Muslim vote.

Political expert Ari Nurcahyo of think tank Para Syndicate said that, “Ma’ruf is a senior figure, while Jokowi is an incumbent. Ma’ruf may appeal to voters who care about experience.”

Eve Warburton, a visiting fellow with Singapore-based ISEAS — Yusof Ishak Institute’s Indonesia Studies program, said Jokowi could use Ma’ruf’s strong Islamic credentials to cover his Achilles’ heel.

“Since the Islamist mobilizations, Jokowi has tried to cultivate and curry favor with conservative leaders and their base. [...] Jokowi has chosen to signal support for conservative Islamic agendas rather than chance an emotional and religiously-charged opposition campaign,” she said on Friday.

In a rather unexpected twist, Prabowo ditched options put forward by his backers, including mostly Muslim figures such as Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) executive Salim Segaf al-Jufri and celebrity preacher Abdul Somad, and chose Sandiaga, a 49-year-old businessman-turned-politician, instead. Sandiaga turned in his resignations from the post of deputy Jakarta governor as well as from Gerindra’s advisory council in an effort to “neutralize” his affiliation amid a power struggle within Prabowo’s coalition.

The Democrats, who had pitched Agus Harimurti, the son of Democratic Party chief patron and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to run alongside Prabowo, were visibly upset, with party elites failing to show up for Prabowo’s midnight press conference.

Speculation was rife that the Democrats would leave the coalition and join the other camp, but elites of Jokowi’s camp were quick to dismiss such reports, saying the deal had been sealed and there was no way for the Democratic Party to be an official part of the coalition. The party would be barred from endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election if it decided to abstain in next year’s presidential race as per the Elections Law.

On Friday morning, the Democratic Party’s high council reiterated support for Prabowo’s candidacy and his pick of Sandiaga. Prabowo and Sandiaga later visited Yudhoyono’s residence. Agus emerged not long after to announce the party’s final stance to stay in the coalition.

“Of course, as a core member of the Democratic Party, I give my full support to ensure the success and victory of the Prabowo — Sandiaga pair,” Agus said.

— Nurul Fitri Ramadhani in Jakarta contributed to the story.