By Peace Udugba
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has vowed that Christians will continue preaching in commercial buses across the country despite the controversial provision in the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Amendment Bill, 2026.
PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke, made the declaration on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, insisting that the Christian body would not be intimidated even if members were arrested or imprisoned for evangelising in commercial vehicles.
The proposed amendment has generated widespread public debate over a provision prescribing a ₦50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles.
Rejecting the proposal, Oke maintained that Christians have a divine mandate to preach the gospel and would not abandon that responsibility because of any government regulation.
“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,” he said.
The cleric, who also heads Sword of the Spirit Ministries International, defended comments he made in a viral video, stressing that public evangelism would continue regardless of the consequences.
“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 added.
Bishop Oke described the proposed provision as a direct attack on Christians rather than a road safety measure, alleging that it forms part of a pattern of policies he believes unfairly target the Christian faith.
He further argued that Nigeria is a pluralistic society where citizens of different religious beliefs should be free to practise and propagate their faith without restriction.
The comments came amid growing reactions to the FRSC (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with critics claiming the legislation seeks to outlaw preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles.
However, the Senate has dismissed the claims, insisting that the amendment does not create any new offence.
According to the upper chamber, the restriction has existed since the enactment of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, where it appeared as Item 36 of the Second Schedule, and was subsequently retained as Item 49 in the current amendment bill. The Senate also cited Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which contains similar provisions.
The Senate maintained that the objective of the legislation is to enhance the safety of commuters and other road users, stressing that it is not intended to prohibit street preaching or restrict religious worship in public places.
It also clarified that the bill did not originate from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele but was passed by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.
The Senate added that consideration of the bill is still ongoing and urged religious organisations, civil society groups and other stakeholders to participate in the legislative process before the amendment is concluded.
