Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – Former Jakarta deputy governor and losing vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno announced his return to the Gerindra Party with a tongue-in-cheek video on Tuesday.
Sandiaga posted the video on his Instagram with the caption, "I'M BACK."
The video shows Sandiaga walking slowly toward the camera while unbuttoning his shirt, revealing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word "Gerindra" underneath, evoking Clark Kent's iconic change into a Superman costume.
The classic Superman movie theme by composer John Williams serves as the video's background music.
Gerindra spokesperson Dahnil Simanjuntak confirmed to The Jakarta Post that Sandiaga had officially rejoined Gerindra as a party member.
Sandiaga first joined Gerindra in 2015, and successfully ran as the party's nominee for Jakarta deputy governor in 2017. He resigned from the party shortly before being announced as Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto's running mate in August 2018, in an effort to avoid an all-Gerindra presidential ticket and appease other parties in the coalition.
There were suggestions that Sandiaga could join one of Gerindra's then-coalition partners the National Mandate Party (PAN) or the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), with the businessman even making an appearance in one of PKS's campaign ads.
In the end, however, Sandiaga opted to return to his old party, just in time for Gerindra's national working meeting, scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday.