PFN President Defies Bill Banning Bus Preaching
PFN President Defies Bill Banning Bus Preaching
By Divine Macaulay ·
"Our Master commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We will preach in buses. We will preach everywhere. We would rather obey God than man," he said.
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Wale Oke, has condemned a proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act that would penalise preaching, trading and hawking inside commercial buses, declaring that Christians would defy the law if it is enacted.
The Senate recently passed the redrafted FRSC (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which introduces stiffer sanctions for a range of road and transit-related offences. Among its provisions is a ₦50,000 fine for anyone found preaching, hawking or engaging in commercial activities inside commercial buses. The bill is awaiting presidential assent.
Speaking during a church service, Oke described the provision as an "evil decree" and insisted that Christians would continue to preach the gospel in public transport, citing what he said was a biblical mandate.
"If you want to enforce that law, be ready to arrest all of us. Convert all the stadiums in Nigeria into prisons because we will break that law," he said.
According to the cleric, the government should prioritise tackling violent crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, murder and rape rather than targeting those preaching messages of peace.
"Our Master commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We will preach in buses. We will preach everywhere. We would rather obey God than man," he said.
Oke also criticised lawmakers behind the bill, warning that the proposed restriction amounted to an attack on religious freedom. He further declared that those promoting the legislation would face divine judgment unless they repented.
The proposed amendment has sparked debate over the balance between maintaining order in public transportation and protecting the constitutional right to freedom of religion and expression. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is yet to decide whether to sign the bill into law.