Tambakberas and the Test of NU Leadership
The approaching 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress at Pondok Pesantren Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas, Jombang, East Java, is not merely about the buzz surrounding candidates for the PBNU Chairmanship. What is truly heating up is the discussion about the future direction of NU’s service.
In NU’s tradition, leadership has never been separated from moral responsibility. Therefore, every Congress becomes a space for collective introspection: whether the organisation remains faithful to the fikrah (thought), manhaj (methodology), and harakah (movement) inherited from the founders, or has begun to be tempted by the logic of power that often distances the organisation from its spirit of service.
The past few weeks have signalled that the contestation for the Congress is becoming more open. The launch of the book Fikroh, Manhaj, and Harakah Nahdhiyyah in the Perspective of KH Ma’ruf Amin at the Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta, on 5 August 2026, followed by the National Gathering of the IPNU Alumni Association in South Jakarta on 7 August 2026, presented a number of figures who are in the running for the PBNU General Chairmanship. Names such as KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, KH Nasaruddin Umar, KH Marsudi Syuhud, KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), and KH Muhammad Yusuf Chudlori (Gus Yusuf), KH Imam Jazuli, KH Zulfa Mustofa, and KH Abdul Ghaffar Rozin are among those increasingly discussed in Nahdliyin circles.
The diversity of backgrounds among these figures is actually good news. There are pesantren caretakers, regional administrators, organisational activists, academics, and even ministers. This shows that NU remains a fertile field of service and an attractive space for movement for many. The organisation still possesses vitality, appeal, and a capacity for regeneration. NU’s internal democracy is still functioning, and this is an important asset for the organisation’s sustainability.
The debate over concurrent positions has resurfaced, particularly regarding the possibility of a minister also serving as PBNU General Chair. However, this issue should be approached with a cool head. History records that NU has long experience with this. KH Abdul Wahid Hasyim, KH Masjkur, KH Wahib Wahab, KH Saifuddin Zuhri, and KH Muhammad Dahlan all once led PBNU while simultaneously serving as Minister of Religious Affairs. This means the practice has a historical precedent that cannot be ignored.
Therefore, the issue of concurrent positions should be addressed calmly. A ministerial post is a public office, but it is not a political position directly elected by the people like the president, governor, or regent. Whether it is permissible or not is ultimately a matter of the organisation’s internal constitution and the decision of the congress participants. NU has its own mechanisms to resolve such issues.