Gus Kikin tops five candidates for PBNU chairman with the most votes

KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, known as Gus Kikin, won the largest share of preliminary support in the contest for chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama’s central board, receiving 472 votes.

The vote count concluded at about 3:30 a.m. on Monday during the fifth plenary session of the organization’s 35th congress. KH Zulfa Mustofa followed with 262 votes, ahead of KH Abdussalam Sochib with 261, KH Yahya Cholil Staquf with 258 and KH Nusron Wahid with 207.

The five names came from nominations submitted by NU branches, regional boards and special overseas branches. They will first undergo verification before being passed to the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi, or AHWA, for deliberation in a closed session.

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We first determine the top five, then examine them and ask the candidates concerned whether they meet Article 7 of the election regulations.

Ganefri, who chaired the plenary session, said the candidates must satisfy the rules in Article 7 of the election regulations. Requirements include having served as an executive official at the central, regional or branch level, or as head of an NU autonomous body or central institution. Candidates also cannot hold political office, serve as a political-party official, or belong to an organization affiliated with a political party during the previous year. They must not have faced organizational sanctions and must receive written approval from the Rais Aam.

Other nominees included KH Yusuf Chudori with 176 votes, H. Saifullah Yusuf with 174, KH Abdul Ghaffar Rozin with 155, H. Gudfan Arif with 108, H. Kamaruddin Amin with 104 and Prof. Mohammad Nuh with 94. Ganefri said every nominated name would be checked for compliance before the list goes to the AHWA.

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Before we submit the names, we will call them and check whether they meet the requirements under Article 7.