According to Mahfud, the desire to resign from the position was actually conveyed when he sent a code in the press statement after the Fourth Vice Presidential Debate of the 2024 Election on Sunday, January 21, 2024. At that time, Mahfud expressed his gratitude to President Joko Widodo.

"The state officials nominated by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in general elections as presidential or vice presidential candidates must resign from their positions, except for the president, vice president, leaders and members of the People's Consultative Assembly, leaders and members of the People's Representative Council, leaders and members of the Regional Representative Council, ministers and officials of ministerial rank, governors, vice governors, regents, vice regents, mayors, and vice mayors," as stated in Article 18 paragraph 1."

Based on Article 18 paragraph 2, ministers and officials at the ministerial level who are nominated by a political party or a coalition of political parties participating in the general election as presidential and vice-presidential candidates must obtain approval and leave permission from the president. Jokowi allows ministers and officials at the ministerial level to carry out campaigns on the condition that they are presidential and vice-presidential candidates, have a status as a member of a political party, a member of the campaign team, or a campaign executor who has been registered with the General Election Commission (KPU).