Gus Ipul: President Opens and Closes NU Congress for the First Time, A New History!
The Chairman of the Organizing Committee (OC) for the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress, Saifullah Yusuf, also known as Gus Ipul, stated that the presence of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the 35th NU Congress represents a new chapter in the history of the Islamic organisation.
President Prabowo was noted to have attended both the opening and the closing of the 35th NU Congress. This was remarked by Gus Ipul during the closing ceremony held at the Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, East Java, on Monday, 31 August 2026.
“Honourable Mr President, today, 31 August 2026, we are recording a new history in the journey of this congress. For the first time, the President of the Republic of Indonesia has attended both the opening and the closing of the Nahdlatul Ulama Congress,” said Gus Ipul during the closing proceedings.
According to Gus Ipul, President Prabowo’s presence twice within a single congress series is a significant milestone. The President did not only open the highest forum of NU but also returned four days later to personally witness the conclusion of the organisation’s entire agenda.
Furthermore, the 35th NU Congress recorded history beyond the President’s attendance. The forum, attended by over 3,000 participants and observers, also resulted in important changes to the election mechanism for the General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU).
Gus Ipul reported that the entire series of the congress was completed according to the established schedule and agenda. These activities included the presentation of accountability reports, six commission sessions, five plenary sessions, bahsul masail (legal discussions), and all stages of organisational decision-making.
The congress was attended by representatives from 38 Regional NU Boards (PWNU), 523 Branch NU Boards (PCNU), and 33 International NU Boards (PCINU), with each region and branch represented by four constituent elements.
One of the strategic decisions of the 35th NU Congress was the alteration of the PBNU General Chairman election mechanism. Under the new mechanism, the PBNU General Chairman will no longer be elected directly via a ‘one man, one vote’ pattern. Instead, each region and branch will be given the space to propose a minimum of one and a maximum of five candidates.
The five candidates with the highest number of votes will then be submitted to the newly elected Rais Aam. These names will subsequently be deliberated with the members of the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA) to determine the PBNU General Chairman.
“This mechanism simultaneously reaffirms the supremacy of the Syuriyah within the Nahdlatul Ulama organisation,” explained Gus Ipul.