Solo. Thousands of residents in the Central Java city of Solo warmly welcomed former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as he returned to his hometown, where he once served as mayor, now as a private citizen.

Jokowi and his wife, Iriana, entered Adi Sucipto Street around 6 p.m., greeted by thousands of residents who had been waiting for hours along the roadsides. As the motorcade moved slowly, the crowd immediately stood and surged closer to catch a glimpse of their beloved former president.

Riding in an open-top SUV, Jokowi was still dressed in the traditional Betawi attire he wore at the inauguration of his successor, Prabowo Subianto, in Jakarta earlier in the day.

Smiling and laughing, Jokowi greeted the enthusiastic crowd and tossed t-shirts to them along the way.

He was accompanied by several high-ranking officials, including National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto, Central Java Police Chief Ribut Hari Wibowo, and Acting Governor Nana Sudjana.

“It’s my first time seeing Mr. Jokowi in person -- I usually only see him on TV. I’m so happy, especially because I managed to catch a t-shirt,” said Zaenab, a local Islamic high school student.

Before departing for Solo, Jokowi expressed his full confidence in Prabowo’s leadership for the next five years.

“I fully entrust Mr. Prabowo Subianto with the hopes and aspirations of 280 million Indonesians,” Jokowi said.

His son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was also inaugurated on Sunday as the new vice president.

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