The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has rejected moves to restrict preaching in commercial vehicles, insisting it would rather obey God than man, even as the Senate clarified that the proposed amendment to the FRSC Act does not impose a new ban on bus preaching or hawking.
Bishop Wale Oke. Facebook/Bishop Francis Wale Oke
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has vowed to resist any attempt to stop Christians from preaching in commercial buses, insisting that believers would continue evangelising even if such a law were enforced.
Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke, said Christians would “rather obey God than man,” arguing that any restriction on public preaching would violate their constitutional right to propagate their faith.
“We will preach in buses if they want to imprison us; let them come and arrest us. We are coming. We will preach in buses; they cannot stop us,” the Bishop of Sword of the Spirit Ministries International said.
Defending remarks he made in a viral video while addressing his congregation, Oke reiterated his determination to resist any attempt to prohibit public evangelism.
“Make all the stadiums in Nigeria become a prison if you want to enforce that law. We are coming. We will preach in buses; we will preach everywhere,” he said in the video.
The cleric described the proposal as an attack on Christians rather than a genuine effort to improve public safety.
According to him, the proposed restriction reflects what he sees as a broader pattern of policies targeting Christians.
He stressed that the country belongs to people of different religious beliefs and must remain so.
The controversy stems from ongoing consideration of amendments to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Establishment Act, with public concerns focusing on provisions relating to preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles.
However, the Senate has maintained that the amendment bill does not introduce a new prohibition on preaching or hawking in commercial vehicles.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Office of the Senate Leader, the upper chamber said such activities have been offences under existing law since the enactment of the FRSC Establishment Act, 2007, citing Section 10(4) of the Act and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012.
According to the Senate, the provision, previously listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule to the Act, has only been renumbered as Item 49 in the proposed amendment.
The Senate also dismissed claims that the bill seeks to ban street preaching or restrict religious activities in public spaces.
“It is about the safety of commuters and other road users and is not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space,” the statement said.
The chamber further clarified that, contrary to reports, the amendment bill was not sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
It explained that the legislation originated in the House of Representatives and is before the Senate as a concurrence bill in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The Senate noted that the legislative process is still ongoing and urged stakeholders with concerns to engage through the appropriate legislative channels before the bill is passed.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and public participation, maintaining that the proposed amendment is intended to strengthen road safety and protect commuters rather than curtail religious freedom.
