Differing Views on PBNU Chairman Election Emerge at NU Congress Session

Differences of opinion regarding the mechanism for electing the Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) emerged during the Organisational Commission Session of the 35th NU Congress at Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, East Java. PBNU Chairman KH Ulil Abshar Abdalla (Gus Ulil) defended the mechanism of electing the PBNU Chairman directly by congress participants. Meanwhile, PBNU Chairman KH Fahrur Rozi (Gus Fahrur) pushed for a mechanism whereby the PBNU Chairman is appointed directly by the AHWA council.

Gus Ulil considered the mechanism for electing the PBNU Chairman to be a matter of principle that needs to be discussed in depth within the Congress forum. He therefore asked the session leadership to provide sufficient space for participants to present their arguments before making a decision. ‘I argue to keep it as it is (the PBNU Chairman remains elected by congress participants),’ said Gus Ulil during the session held on Friday evening (29/8/2026).

According to him, the discussion of the NU Bylaws in the Organisational Commission is one of the most important parts of the Congress. Therefore, differences of opinion regarding the mechanism for electing the PBNU Chairman should not be avoided. Gus Ulil expressed hope that the differences could be resolved through deliberation and that an agreement could be reached. However, if no agreement is reached, he considered a voting mechanism to be a legitimate option. ‘If an agreement can be reached, alhamdulillah. If not, then we are forced to take a vote. We should not avoid or prohibit voting. Voting is legitimate both in sharia and within the Nahdlatul Ulama organisation,’ he said.

Gus Ulil also reminded that the direct election of the PBNU Chairman by congress participants has been a tradition since NU was founded up to the NU Congress in Lampung. According to him, the application of the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA) mechanism in the history of NU Congresses has a different context and position. AHWA was introduced to elect the Rais Aam of the Syuriyah council, not the Chairman who sits within the tanfidziyah structure.

He explained that in the tradition of fiqh siyasah, AHWA holds a very sacred position because it relates to the election of the ummah’s highest leader. ‘Now we separate the syuriah from the tanfidziyah. Therefore, if AHWA is applied to elect the tanfidziyah, in my view that actually degrades the position of AHWA,’ he said.

Ulil considered that the positions of Rais Aam and PBNU Chairman need to be distinguished. The ulama who are members of AHWA, he said, have a special position to elect the Rais Aam. ‘For the chairman, for the tanfidziyah, this is the right of the congress participants,’ he said.

Nevertheless, Gus Ulil opened the door for an AHWA mechanism to determine a number of candidates for PBNU Chairman. He cited a proposal whereby AHWA would select five candidates, who would then be elected through voting by congress participants. ‘So once again, the sacred position must be distinguished. The Rais Aam is the right of the ulama. But the tanfidziyah is a position that truly belongs to all of us to elect,’ he said.