35th NU Congress Approaches: East Java PWNU Nominates Its Chairman to Lead PBNU

As the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress in Jombang draws near, candidates for the chairmanship are beginning to emerge. The East Java Regional Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PWNU Jatim) has officially nominated its chairman, KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, as a candidate for the Chairmanship of the PBNU. “This is purely the will of PWNU Jatim, not a personal desire or a request from any other party,” said KH Abdul Matin Djawahir, Deputy Rais Syuriyah of PWNU Jatim, in Surabaya on Tuesday. The nomination of Gus Kikin, as Abdul Halim Mahfudz is affectionately known, is a formal institutional decision. It was reached after a series of lengthy meetings involving the daily boards of Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah. According to him, the unanimous agreement did not come about instantly. PWNU Jatim had to hold two to three daily board meetings and even formed a special team to finalise the matter. Once internal consensus was solidified, the board approached the caretaker of the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School. “We invited him for a discussion and asked about his willingness. Alhamdulillah, after various considerations, he declared his readiness to take on this mandate,” he said. PWNU Jatim will soon invite all Nahdlatul Ulama Branch Boards (PCNU) across East Java to socialise the direction of support. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with all PCNUs agreeing to unite behind a single voice to secure Gus Kikin’s election as the head of PBNU. Abdul Matin outlined several fundamental reasons behind the solid support from East Java. Gus Kikin is considered to have a strong commitment to returning the NU organisation to its Qanun Asasi, the foundational congregational guidelines formulated by the founder, Hadratus Syaikh KH Hasyim Asy’ari. Furthermore, his leadership vision focuses on building a calm organisational governance structure that avoids turmoil. Gus Kikin prioritises Islamic brotherhood and Nahdlatul Ulama solidarity to ensure the organisation remains united and its programmes proceed in a measured manner. Gus Kikin’s experience is comprehensive, spanning business, Islamic boarding school management, and organisational leadership—including a previous tenure as a PBNU chairman and his current role leading PWNU Jatim. He has also completed the required leadership training as a prerequisite for leadership within NU. Crucially, his financial independence is seen as a significant added value, ensuring his leadership orientation is purely for service. “He wants to bring life to Nahdlatul Ulama, not seek a livelihood from it. Economically, he is already established, so he can fully focus on advancing the organisation, both socially and economically,” he said.