PBNU Official Clarifies Muktamar Location Decision Not Yet Final

Katib Syuriyah of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), Ahmad Tajul Mafakhir, has stated that the announcement by Rais Aam Miftachul Akhyar regarding the revocation of Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School as the location for the Muktamar is not yet final. He explained that the Rais Aam suddenly took to the podium during a commotion at the National Conference of Scholars and Grand Conference (Munas Alim Ulama and Konbes) 2026 to request that the discussion on determining the Muktamar location be conducted in accordance with PBNU’s Articles of Association and Bylaws (AD/ART).

‘The Rais Aam wants the decision to be made constitutionally according to the organisation’s rules,’ Tajul said when contacted on Thursday, 25 June 2026. He continued that, according to the AD/ART, the location of the Muktamar is determined based on the agreement of the regional NU administrators, as they will be the hosts and prepare all the necessary requirements. Meanwhile, the decision to appoint Lirboyo as the location was made unilaterally or hastily, which was deemed not in line with the applicable regulations.

‘The decision was thrown into the forum without any pause. So, this process is what the Rais Aam is questioning. He wants all decisions to be in line with the existing provisions,’ Tajul stated. He noted that several regions have so far proposed to host the 35th PBNU Muktamar, including West Nusa Tenggara, East Java, West Java, Jakarta, and West Sumatra. The Rais Aam has requested that PBNU form a special team to review the locations that have applied to host the congress, which is scheduled to take place from 1 to 5 August.

‘So, the Rais Aam is not in a capacity to prevent Lirboyo from being the location of the Muktamar. He wants a constitutional decision,’ he said. Previously, a commotion broke out during the plenary session of the 2026 NU National Conference and Grand Conference at the Al-Falah Ploso Islamic Boarding School in Kediri on Monday, 22 June 2026. The chaos was triggered by differing opinions among participants regarding the determination of the location for the 35th Muktamar. Initially, news circulated among participants that Lirboyo had been designated as the host, but participants stated the decision was not yet final. Amidst the heated atmosphere, Rais Aam Miftachul Akhyar took to the podium and stressed that the decision on the location had not been made, even stating that he revoked the decision that had supposedly appointed Lirboyo as the host.