The National Mandate Party (PAN) has declared its formal support for Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s son-in-law, who plans to run for North Sumatra governor in November.

PAN North Sumatra chairman Syah Afandin said it had called on all members and supporters to get behind the mayor for the gubernatorial election.

“We have given Bobby a letter of assignment. This is to show PAN’s support for him in the gubernatorial election,” Syah said on Wednesday at the party’s Medan office.

For his part, Bobby said he was grateful for the support. “I will take this letter [with me] when I submit my registration [documents] at the KPU,” he said after receiving the letter, referring to the General Elections Commission.

Bobby had earlier announced plans to run in the province as the gubernatorial ticket of the Gerindra Party, which declared its support for Bobby’s candidacy on May 20, the same day he announced he had joined Gerindra.

The Medan mayor also said at the time that he had asked for Jokowi’s blessing to join the party and contest the North Sumatra race.

Bobby’s announcement ended months of speculation about his political future after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) dismissed him in November last year over his publicly declared support for Gerindra’s presidential ticket Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son and Bobby’s brother-in-law.

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