Full article on the link. This is just a snippet.

Although Buhari himself isn’t a deeply religious person, his open, full-throated but politically motivated (some would say opportunistic) support for Sharia (at a time no other former president of northern Nigerian Muslim extraction was willing to do so) caused him to be wildly popular among northern Muslim masses and the conservative clerical elite of the region.

Now, Islamic clerics in the north preach that Buhari is divinely ordained to be president and that criticism of his policies amounts to blasphemy. That’s why northern Muslim critics of Buhari like me are seen as heretics—or, worse, not even Muslim at all. I recall a northern Nigerian university teacher and foreign-based PhD student exclaiming “SubhaanAllaah!” when I first shared my criticism of Buhari with him during a WhatsApp chat. He was so distraught you would think I committed blasphemy. So it isn’t just northern Nigerian Muslim masses that literally worship Buhari.

Given the oversized influence of Islamic clerics in shaping public opinion in Muslim northern Nigeria, no amount of logic, evidence-based reasoning, economic hardship, etc. will make the littlest dent on Buhari’s popularity in the Muslim north.

In his widely shared articled titled, “Advice On Buhari Media Centre,” Dr. Aliyu Tilde beautifully captured the complicity of the conservative northern Nigerian Muslim clerical establishment in the deification of President Buhari.

“The same thing applies to religious leaders who are invited to the villa (by the President, said one of them) for the same purpose of propaganda,” Dr. Tilde wrote. “They return and tell their followers all sorts of stories that they have met an angel there and witnessed miracles at the foot of Sinai. I just heard a Whatsapp audio of one of them from Sokoto who was telling his followers, amidst Allahu Akbar, this kind of stories: Buhari ya yi kira. Kuna ga sai a zauna?…kun san da Nijeriya ba ta da uba. Yanzu na tai uba. Na je villa, na ga abin ban mamaki… What a shame."

It’s interesting that Buhari was particularly unpopular with the northern Nigerian Muslim clerical establishment in the 1980s. He was resented for a number of reasons. His wife then, as now, made sartorial choices that didn’t conform to the clerics’ expectations of a Muslim woman. Buhari also banned open-air preaching, stopped/drastically reduced state sponsorship of Hajj, and forbade the building of new Jumu’ah mosques without the permission of emirate councils.

This put him at odds with Muslim clerics, particularly the emergent Izala sect, which now enjoys hegemony in northern Nigeria. Sheikh Abubakar Mahmood Gumi, in fact, said during a preaching session that “Allah will not forgive the regimes of Shagari and that of Buhari because they blocked the way of Allah.”

Fast-forward to the 2000s and Buhari’s support for Sharia when it wasn’t politically wise to do so, especially by a former head of state, set the stage for his deification and worship by a clerical elite that a generation ago invoked curses on him. In a way, Buhari is reaping the “benefits” of the choices he made in 2001.

Now millions of people in the Muslim north would rather die than withhold support for Buhari, however much his government’s policies, or lack thereof, smolder them. Support for Buhari in the Muslim north isn’t just politics; it’s now religion. There is no precedent for this in Nigeria’s history.

http://www.farooqkperogi.com/2017/04/why-president-buhari-is-wildly-popular.html?m=1

Whether he is a god from heaven, hell, sokoto or, akwaibom He is leaving office on or before 29-5-2019

Eph123 remember what i told you yesterday about the majority north bringing back buhari again because of religious connotations.



I pray i get out from this country before then

INTROVERT:

If only you can use this space judiciously and not like Akpa amu buhari that's not functional.



My

INTROVERT:
Whether he is a god from heaven, hell, sokoto or, akwaibom He is leaving office on or before 29-5-2019

He isn't going anywhere. A Northerner told me yesterday that even if Buhari contests on a wheel chair, he will still vote for him. Now that comment mirrors what most Northerners would do.

It's a sad reality.

Except there is a strong realignment with the Southwest. And I sincerely doubt any of that happening.

wetin una expect from d north islam is a religous/political tool for control in d north. notin more notin less.

Divide this country let them have their buhari as their President and other people too to their tent.

They're sending the dullard to his early grave n he is mumuishly obliging to them


Na by force to be president?

INTROVERT:
Whether he is a god from heaven, hell, sokoto or, akwaibom He is leaving office on or before 29-5-2019

Your teeth gnashing will last till 2023.

Una frustration just dey start.

zicoraads:

He isn't going anywhere. A Northerner told me yesterday that even if Buhari contests on a wheel chair, he will still vote for him. Now that comment mirrors what most Northerners would do.

It's a sad reality.

Except there is a strong realignment with the Southwest. And I sincerely doubt any of that happening.

By northerner, limit that categorization to the Hausa/Fulani Muslim class.

Come 2019 with the right opposition in place and if Buhari chooses not to rig, Buhari will be kicked out by the rest of Nigerians

Yyeske:
Whoever wrote this should be burnt at the stake, not fit to be a human being

...because he wrote the truth?

You're obviously one of the gullible "Buharideens" (SouthWest Chapter) the writer talks about.

I guess those who voted in the PDP Twitter poll are all Northerners as well.

Cry cry babies everywhere.

DropShot:

Your teeth gnashing will last till 2023.

Una frustration just dey start.

Unfortunately for you, Buhari's presidency ended in January 20th

BlowBack:


By northerner, limit that categorization to the Hausa/Fulani Muslim class.

Come 2019 with the right opposition in place and if Buhari chooses not to rig, Buhari will be kicked out by the rest of Nigerians

Dream on!

Sai Baba till 2023 Dole.

DropShot:

Dream on!

What you are witnessing in this current administration, is a rudderless govt headed by an incapacitated captain.

They all know it is over and are just praying that Buhari makes it by the end of the week to keep looting Nigeria dry.

Say bughari sombori

DropShot:

Your teeth gnashing will last till 2023.

Una frustration just dey start.

Another perpetual Buharideen spotted.

Religious extremist.

DropShot:

Your teeth gnashing will last till 2023.

Una frustration just dey start.

So will that of you, your friends and family last also.

This is why Nigeria would remain stagnated.

Does it mean anyone supporting Buhari in the north is doing so because of religion or tribe?
Don't judge a whole section because of the opinions of one man or a few persons you know.
Come 2019 the PDP would still present a Northern-muslim. Then what? You'd vote KOWA or any party that presents a christian?
Now who looks like the religious one.
Vote based on competence.
The north also voted for GEJ

INTROVERT:




So will that of you, your friends and family last also.

You can see and tell I'm happy with this administration.

It's those of you angry and bitter that might die of frustration.

Na now you know?

"Now, Islamic clerics in the north preach that Buhari is
divinely ordained to be president and that criticism of his
policies amounts to blasphemy."

Can you imagine the nonsense?
And you still wonder why this part of Nigeria will remain perpetually?

[quote author=INTROVERT post=55609671]Whether he is a god from heaven, hell, sokoto or, akwaibom He is leaving office on or before 29-5-2019 [/qa,uote]

The earlier Ipod/pdp online terrorist realise no politician in nigeria can defeat PMB come 2019 the better for them. They think insulting Buhari here on nairaland is view of masses,not knowing many of this ipod terrorist don't have a voters I.D. If na lie I dey talk, go to north and still insult buhari and see lol, OYO is ur case.


Besides, north has the population and who ever will become Nigeria president must be liked in north else, nothing for that person.


God bless Mr president

BlowBack:
Majority of northerners are inbred slaves from Afonja land and the pagan provinces of the middle belt.

Nwokem....are you jewish? You know these our nairaland aba made jewish blodas are usually highly pained individuals who always look for a way to drag afonjiggedys into a debate that may not even concern them and you have displayed such traits through this your post!

mynd1:
The earlier Ipod/pdp online terrorist realise no politician in nigeria can defeat PMB come 2019 the better for them. They think insulting Buhari here on nairaland is view of masses,not knowing many of this ipod terrorist don't have a voters I.D. If na lie I dey talk, go to north and still insult buhari and see lol, OYO is ur case.


Besides, north has the population and who ever will become Nigeria president must be liked in north else, nothing for that person.


God bless Mr president

Bros how far?