Ceremony formalizes the new board
PBNU Rais Aam KH Miftachul Akhyar led the inauguration and administered the baiat, or oath of allegiance, according to NU Online. Before the oath, Gus Kikin read Decree No. 2/PB.01/A.II.01.01/99/09/2026, ratifying the board's composition and personnel for the 2026-2031 term.
Board members followed Miftachul Akhyar in reciting pledges to practice and defend Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, uphold the Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah creed, and follow NU's Articles of Association and Bylaws (AD/ART) and organizational regulations.
The ceremony began with a tawasul recitation, followed by the national anthem, Indonesia Raya, and the NU anthem, Yalal Wathan. KH Fadlan Zainuddin then recited verses 1-2 of Surah Al-Maidah from the Quran. All attendees joined in reciting Shalawat Badar at the close.
Gus Kikin also explained the choice of the term pelantikan, meaning inauguration, rather than pengukuhan, or confirmation. According to kumparan, he said PBNU was following the terminology specified in the applicable NU Association Regulation (Peraturan Perkumpulan NU).
Pesantren traditions and national unity
In his address, reported by Kompas.com, Gus Kikin described pesantren as the places that produced the scholars who founded NU. Holding the inauguration in that setting, he said, was intended to remind the board to preserve the traditions on which the organization was built.
He connected that commitment with the theme of the 2026 Santri Day celebrations, urging NU members to work together to strengthen pesantren traditions and safeguard national unity.
Gus Kikin also recalled NU founder Hadratus Syekh KH Hasyim Asy'ari's appeal for all components of the nation to join the organization. He presented that message as an expression of NU's inclusivity, kumparan reported.
Representation on a larger board
The new board has 210 members, compared with 189 for the 2021-2026 term. NU Online reported those figures when Gus Kikin announced the composition at PBNU's Jakarta office on September 30, 2026.
At the inauguration, Gus Kikin urged members to put togetherness at the center of their work. He said the leadership lineup had been assembled for the welfare of NU as an organization and its members, with attention to representation across regions and generations.
He acknowledged that the result could still have shortcomings, attributing any gaps to human limitations rather than suggesting that every aspect of representation had been fully addressed.
The school hosting the inauguration
Al-Hamid's establishment dates to a 1995 foundation-stone ceremony led by then Vice President Try Sutrisno, according to Medcom.id. Construction began in 2002 under H Hamid Djiman together with KH Chamim Jazuli, known as Gus Miek, the caretaker of Al-Falah Ploso Pesantren in Kediri.
The pesantren came under the Mantab Al Hamid foundation in 2007. Garibaldi Thohir, also known as Boy Thohir, also helped with construction.
Al-Hamid operates two campuses: Al Hamid Putra in Cilangkap and Al Hamid Putri in Pondok Ranggon. Its own figures list 210 teachers, 25 education staff members, 1,800 active students and 10,000 alumni. The school offers education from kindergarten (TK) through senior high school (MA).
