Jombang, en.SERU.co.id – The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress has agreed to change the mechanism for electing the General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) from a one-man-one-vote system to Ahlul Halli wal ‘Aqdi (AHWA) if consensus cannot be reached. The decision was approved through voting with 401 participants in favor, 150 against and one invalid vote. Next, congress participants will shortlist five candidates to be selected by AHWA.
Secretary of the Steering Committee (SC) of the 35th NU Congress, Prof Dr Ir Mohammad Nuh, said the decision was taken through a vote during the discussion of the Organizational Commission of the 35th NU Congress in Jombang, East Java, on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
“From the voting just now, 401 approved the change in the mechanism for electing the general chairman. Meanwhile 150 wished to keep it as is and there was one invalid vote,” Nuh said on Sunday, 30 August 2026.
This Is the New Mechanism for Electing the PBNU General Chairman
The change in mechanism is set out in Article 41 letter e. The provision regulates that the General Chairman of PBNU is in principle first elected through consensus deliberation by the congress participants.
If consensus deliberation cannot be achieved, the authority to elect transfers to AHWA. Before AHWA determines the General Chairman, congress participants first carry out a shortlisting of candidates. Each participant may choose a maximum of five names of candidates who meet the requirements.
The results of that vote are then used to take the five names with the highest support. These then become candidates for General Chairman of PBNU and are submitted to AHWA.
The five names must next declare their willingness to become candidates, either orally or in writing. In addition, candidates who will be processed by AHWA must obtain written approval from the elected Rais Aam of PBNU. After those requirements are fulfilled, AHWA will deliberate to determine who becomes the General Chairman of PBNU.
Rais Aam Must Be Elected First
Nuh explained that one of the important stages in the mechanism is the determination of the Rais Aam of PBNU. The election stages will begin with the tabulation of AHWA candidates. The tabulation results then become the basis for AHWA to deliberate and determine the Rais Aam.
After the Rais Aam is elected, the process of shortlisting candidates for General Chairman of PBNU can continue. Each Provincial Board of NU (PWNU), District Board of NU (PCNU) and Special Branch Board of NU (PCINU) may propose a maximum of five names of candidates for General Chairman.
All names that enter will be collected and tabulated to obtain the five candidates with the highest support. The five names are then submitted to the elected Rais Aam to obtain written approval.
“They must obtain written approval from the Rais Aam. So, the Rais Aam must be determined first. Hopefully by Sunday at the congress everything can already be completed,” Mohammad Nuh said.
The committee is targeting that the entire series of the 35th NU Congress, including the election of the General Chairman and the determination of the leadership structure, can be completed on the same day.
In addition to the change in the mechanism for electing the General Chairman, Plenary Session IV of the 35th NU Congress also became heated when participants discussed the requirements for candidates for General Chairman. This was particularly related to the rules for former members of political parties.
Debate arose after there was a proposal that former political party members be allowed to nominate themselves as General Chairman of PBNU, even without having to go through a one-year cooling-off period.
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Five Names Emerging in the Race for PBNU General Chairman
1. KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin)
Gus Kikin currently serves as Chairman of the East Java Provincial Board of NU. He is a great-grandson of KH M Hasyim Asy’ari, one of the founders of NU, and is also the caretaker of Pondok Pesantren Tebuireng in Jombang. Gus Kikin continued the leadership of the pesantren after KH Salahuddin Wahid (Gus Solah) passed away in 2020.
2. KH Abdul Ghaffar Rozin (Gus Rozin)
Gus Rozin is the son of Rais Aam of PBNU for the 1999–2014 period, KH MA Sahal Mahfudh. He is now entrusted with leading the Central Java Provincial Board of NU for the 2024–2029 period. His involvement in the NU environment has been long-standing, starting from the Central Board of IPNU and GP Ansor up to becoming Katib Syuriyah of PBNU.
3. KH Zulfa Musthafa
Zulfa Musthafa is known as a scholar with an intellectual background and Islamic education. On 25 September 2024 he received an honorary doctorate in the Science of Arabic Literary Prosody from UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya. He also has a kinship relationship with Syekh Nawawi al-Bantani and is a nephew of KH Ma’ruf Amin.
4. KH Muhammad Yusuf Chudlori (Gus Yusuf)
Gus Yusuf is known as the caretaker of Pondok Pesantren API Tegalrejo in Magelang. He also has experience in the political world through the National Awakening Party (PKB) and once served as Chairman of the Central Java Regional Representative Council of PKB.
5. KH Abdussalam Shohib (Gus Salam)
Gus Salam is the caretaker of Pondok Pesantren Mamba’ul Ma’arif Denanyar in Jombang and is also a grandson of KH Bisri Syansuri, one of the founders of NU. He once served as Deputy Chairman of the East Java Provincial Board of NU, Katib of PBNU during the leadership of KH Said Aqil Siradj, and even Deputy Secretary General of PBNU before resigning. (aan/mzm)
Indonesian version:
Muktamar ke-35 NU Ubah Mekanisme Pemilihan Ketum PBNU, AHWA Jadi Penentu
