The popularity of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who will leave office in the next few months, is apparently resonating beyond Jakarta, causing people from outside Java to come to meet him in person to express their support for the outspoken politician.

Debora Sarwom, 59, a resident of Jayapura in Papua, traveled all the way from Indonesia’s easternmost province to meet the governor after seeing on TV the massive support the governor was receiving from the public after he lost the recent runoff election.

“The ticket for a flight from Jayapura to Jakarta cost Rp 3.5 million [US$ 262.57]. But that doesn’t matter to me. I wanted to meet Ahok,” said Debora, who landed on Thursday in Jakarta with her husband and daughter.

Ahok, she said, symbolized a brave and clean public official who was dedicated to developing the city and improving the welfare of the people.

“He is more handsome than what I saw on TV. He’s still young and I am sure he will get a better position after this,” she said, adding that she never missed Ahok’s performances during the televised election debates.

According to numerous quick counts, Ahok and Deputy Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat failed to retain their positions and they have conceded defeat to Anies Baswedan and his running mate Sandiaga Uno. The election was one of the most intense and heated in the country’s history.

Elisabeth Meme Dasion, 62, a resident of East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, initially came to Jakarta earlier this month to attend the graduation of her son from a private university in Jakarta.

However, meeting Ahok was also among her priorities when she visited the capital. “We also had a regency election last February, but the attention I paid it was nothing like I did to Jakarta’s election,” she added.

Arriving at City Hall at 9 a.m., she had to wait for nearly five hours to meet her idol, because her turn for a photo session was at noon, while Ahok had a series of meetings that day.

City Hall has turned into a tourist spot in the past few days as hundreds of people have flocked to the location. On Friday, as the governor carried out his duties, people patiently waited in line for their turn to meet and take pictures with Ahok. Upon seeing the governor, his fans began screaming and chanting his name.

The huge number of people visiting the office has prompted security personnel to create a series of rules for those wishing to convey their good wishes to the governor. Visitors are required to take queue numbers, get in line and have their hands marked after taking pictures, to prevent them rejoining the line.

The area has also been flooded with flower boards and floral displays sent as a mark of solidarity with the incumbents before they leave office in October.

The number of floral arrangements has rapidly risen to more than 2,000 and has forced the administration to relocate many of them to the National Monument (Monas) area in Central Jakarta.

“We can’t stop people [sending the displays]. It’s like a flower festival. Imagine how much you’d need to spend to organize such a festival?” Ahok said, adding that the remains of the displays could later be sold.

However, one flower board emblazoned with the message “Move On Donk!” (Oh, move on!) was also spotted. “OKE OCE”, was written below, referring to the slogan of Ahok’s rivals Anies-Sandiaga. Some Ahok fans changed the words to read “Menolak Move On” (Refusing to move on) in a gesture of defiance.