Nasaruddin Umar and Gus Yahya Among Candidates for PBNU Chairmanship

The Secretary General of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), Saifullah Yusuf, has revealed a number of names in the running for the chairmanship at the organisation’s 35th Muktamar. He noted that several figures are already circulating as potential competitors for the leadership of NU for the 2026-2031 period. The Social Affairs Minister listed five names: Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar; incumbent PBNU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf; PBNU Vice Chairman Zulfa Mustofa; Abdussalam Shohib, caretaker of the Mamba’ul Ma’arif Islamic Boarding School; Muhammad Yusuf Chudlori, caretaker of the Asrama Perguruan Islam Tegalrejo Islamic Boarding School; and East Java PWNU Chairman Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, known as Kikin. “Among them are Kiai Zulfa Mustofa, Gus Yusuf Chudlori, Gus Salam Shohib, Gus Kikin, the Chairman of PWNU East Java, and also Prof. Nasaruddin Umar. Those are the names being mentioned. Including, of course, Gus Yahya,” said the man often called 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 Muktamar stated that any rule preventing PBNU leaders from concurrently holding government positions would be further agreed upon by the muktamar participants. This regulation is contained in the PBNU’s articles of association and bylaws produced during the 34th Muktamar in Lampung in 2021. “What the future holds, we do not yet know exactly, but the Nahdlatul Ulama organisation provides an opportunity for anyone to lead NU in the future,” he said. Gus Ipul guaranteed that the leadership election process would be free from intervention by President Prabowo Subianto. He is confident that the Gerindra Party chairman, who is well-acquainted with many NU figures, entrusts the muktamar participants to deliberate according to PBNU tradition. “So I think it is true that the President will not interfere in the muktamar process,” he stated. PBNU has designated the Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, East Java, as the venue for the 35th NU Muktamar. This decision was made following a joint meeting between the Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah councils of PBNU in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. Gus Ipul urged all regional and branch administrators to prepare for the organisation’s highest forum. “I invite branch and regional administrators to focus on preparing for the Muktamar,” he said in a statement on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. The joint meeting was attended by core PBNU administrators from both the Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah councils, including the Rais Aam, his deputies, the Chairman, the Secretary General, the Katib Aam, the Treasurer General, and several other board members. Gus Ipul added that the meeting also decided to change the implementation date of the five-yearly forum to 27-30 August 2026, from the previously set date of 1-5 August.