Indonesia’s vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigns over disputed school certificate

Indonesia's Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, has resigned after a controversy over his educational qualifications, adding to political uncertainty around President Prabowo Subianto's government, according to Nigeria Info FM and Punch.

Gibran, 39, handed his resignation letter to the leadership of the People's Consultative Assembly on Thursday, the Speaker, Ahmad Muzani, said. Muzani said Gibran also told the assembly that he had sent the same letter to President Prabowo.

The resignation follows weeks of pressure over whether his overseas education met the requirements to contest the 2024 vice presidential election. Last month, Indonesia's Supreme Court invalidated a certificate that recognised his foreign schooling as equivalent to a high school qualification in the country. The ruling renewed calls for his removal and prompted lawmakers to start moves toward impeachment.

Gibran has defended his academic record, pointing to his studies in Singapore and the marketing degree he obtained there. He has argued that he could not have proceeded to university without completing the required level of schooling.

His departure comes amid wider public frustration with the government over economic hardship, corruption and its handling of environmental crises, including devastating wildfires. Thousands of Indonesians have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest government policies and what they describe as growing authoritarianism.

Gibran is the son of former president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, whose political backing helped secure the alliance that brought Prabowo and Gibran to power in 2024. Political analysts quoted in the reports say the resignation could reduce Jokowi's direct influence within the administration and give Prabowo more room to consolidate his leadership.

It is not yet clear how the vacancy will be filled or on what timetable. Under the process described in the reports, the assembly now has to deal with the letter, and the president will have to take a position on a successor.

Neither Prabowo's office nor Jokowi had issued a detailed public response in the reports reviewed. For Indonesians, the episode is the latest test of how the country handles questions about the credentials of its highest officials, and it comes at a time when public trust is already under strain.