Nasaruddin Umar and Gus Yahya Among Candidates for PBNU Chairmanship
Secretary-General of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), Saifullah Yusuf, has revealed a number of names in contention for the chairmanship at the 35th NU congress. According to him, many names have been circulating to compete for the organisation’s leadership for the 2026-2031 term.
The Minister of Social Affairs cited five names: Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar; incumbent PBNU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf; PBNU Deputy Chairman Zulfa Mustofa; the head of the Mamba’ul Ma’arif Islamic boarding school, Abdussalam Shohib; the head of the Asrama Perguruan Islam Tegalrejo boarding school, Muhammad Yusuf Chudlori; and the regional NU chairman Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, known as Gus Kikin.
“Among them are Kiai Zulfa Mustofa, there is Gus Yusuf Chudlori, there is Gus Salam Shohib, there is also Gus Kikin, chairman of the East Java PWNU, and there is also Prof. Nasaruddin Umar. Those are the names being mentioned. Including, of course, Gus Yahya,” said the man popularly known as Gus Ipul at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 July 2026.
The chairman of the organising committee for the 35th NU congress said that a rule prohibiting PBNU leaders from concurrently holding government positions would be further agreed upon by congress participants. The rule is set out in the articles of association and by-laws produced at the 34th NU congress in Lampung in 2021.
“What it will look like going forward, we do not yet know precisely, but Jam’iyah Nahdlatul Ulama is giving the opportunity to anyone who can lead NU in the future,” he said.
Gus Ipul guaranteed that the process of selecting NU’s leader would be free from intervention by President Prabowo Subianto. He expressed confidence that the Gerindra Party chairman, who knows many NU figures, would place his trust in the congress delegates to deliberate in accordance with PBNU tradition.
“So I believe it is true that the President will not meddle in the congress process,” he said.
PBNU has designated Pesantren Tambakberas in Jombang, East Java, as the venue for the 35th NU congress. The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the PBNU Syuriyah and Tanfidziah at a meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 July 2026.
Gus Ipul asked all regional and branch administrators to prepare for the organisation’s highest forum. “I invite the branches and regional boards to focus on preparations for the congress,” he said in a statement on Wednesday, 8 July 2026.
The joint meeting was attended by senior PBNU officials from both the Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah, including Rais Aam of PBNU, his deputies, the PBNU Chairman, the Secretary-General, the Katib Aam, the General Treasurer, and several other organisational officials.
Gus Ipul said the joint meeting also decided on a change to the timing of the congress. The PBNU’s five-yearly forum will be held on 27-30 August 2026, moved from its previously scheduled dates of 1-5 August.