Bobby Nasution Speaks Out on Controversy over Gibran’s High School Diploma

North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution, who is also Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s brother-in-law, responded to the Constitutional Court’s ruling on a petition questioning Gibran’s high school diploma as a candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

Bobby challenged those questioning Gibran’s high school diploma to also question his bachelor’s degree. He said that while former president Joko Widodo’s degree had previously been disputed, it was now Gibran’s high school diploma that was being challenged.

“If Mr Jokowi’s bachelor’s degree was questioned, then Mas Gibran’s high school diploma is being questioned. My suggestion is that they should question his bachelor’s degree as well,” Bobby said on Friday (9 October).

Bobby maintained that Gibran had a high school diploma, which enabled him to continue his studies at university overseas, and that he had completed his degree. “As far as I know, Mas Gibran is a graduate,” he said.

Bobby also responded to calls for Gibran’s impeachment. Rather than focusing on impeachment, he said, all parties should prioritise the public’s interests.

He added that complaints from the public about basic needs—which remain unresolved—should be addressed instead of pursuing the impeachment of his brother-in-law. “Many people are still complaining about their basic needs. I think those should be prioritised,” he said.

The Constitutional Court has ruled on a case challenging whether Gibran met the educational requirements for his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.

The court declared the petition inadmissible because the applicants lacked legal standing. However, it said it had found no document showing that Gibran held a qualification proving he had completed overseas education equivalent to senior high school or its equivalent.

In his reading of the court’s reasoning, Constitutional Justice Adies Kadier said that although the court had found no convincing evidence of Gibran’s diploma for the 2024 candidacy requirements, he was no longer a vice-presidential candidate. The court also said the absence of proof of a qualification equivalent to senior high school fell within the remit of other institutions with authority under the 1945 Constitution.