Gus Yahya's Dismissal Is Considered Premature, PBNU Audit Has Not Been Completed

PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf at the laying of the first stone for the construction of the MBG kitchen at the Al-Hikamassafiyah Islamic Boarding School, Wanayasa, Purwakarta Regency, West Java, Tuesday (29/7/2025). BETWEEN/HO-PBNU

JAKARTA - The dismissal of the General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Yahya Cholil Staquf, is considered premature because the organizational financial audit has not been completed and has not yet produced findings that can be used as the basis for the decision.

"The audit has not been completed, the fact-finding team moved only after the decision was announced. How could a strategic decision be taken before the full facts are available? The principle of an orderly organization must be upheld," said Deputy Secretary General of PBNU Najib Azca in Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, November 30.

Previously, the request for Gus Yahya to resign was said to be based on the results of the Syuriyah Daily Meeting. During the meeting, PBNU's financial governance was considered to indicate violations of sharia law, provisions of legislation, Article 97-99 of the NU Household Budget, as well as rules of association that have the potential to endanger the existence of the Legal Entity of the NU Association.

However, the internal auditor of PBNU in its clarification emphasized that no party should conclude or quote the results of the audit because the process is still ongoing. The general audit, said the auditor, did not necessarily prove any irregularities before the entire series of examinations was completed and verified.

Irregularities are considered increasingly visible because a fact-finding team was formed after the dismissal was carried out. According to Najib, such procedures are not in line with organizational traditions that place fact-finding verification as the basis for decisions.

If there are allegations of violations, investigations first. Facts are collected, discussed in a valid forum, then the decision is taken. Turning the order is dividing," he said.

In the midst of the heated situation, a number of NU Regional Management (PWNU) from various regions have called for central administrators to prioritize islah and tabayyun. They assess that the settlement of peace and deliberation is an organizational tradition that needs to be maintained.

Several PWNUs even asked that the existing management be allowed to run until the 2026 Congress, while fixing internal problems without steps that could damage organizational stability.

The call reflects concerns that the noise at the top level of PBNU could erode public trust and weaken the organization's position ahead of the congress.

Meanwhile, Gus Yahya rejected the dismissal decision. He emphasized that Rais Aam did not have an organizational basis to remove the general chairman without going through the congress. With an unfinished audit and a new fact-finding team working, many parties considered the dismissal decision to be premature and invalid according to organizational regulations.

Various groups hope that this polemic can soon subside through the correct organizational mechanism, prioritize tabayyun, and choose a path islah in order to maintain the authority of PBNU and the benefit of NU residents.