The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has vowed that Christians will continue preaching in commercial buses despite the proposed legislation seeking to prohibit evangelism in such vehicles.
Speaking during a church service on Sunday, Oke criticised the National Assembly over the proposed measure, insisting that preaching the gospel is a divine mandate that cannot be stopped by any law.
He declared that members of the PFN would resist any attempt to enforce the legislation, saying they would obey God's command above human laws.
"If they turn all the stadiums in Nigeria into prisons, we are ready. If they want to enforce that law, we are coming. We will break that law. Our Master commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. You cannot tell us not to preach in buses. We will preach in buses and everywhere else because we would rather obey God than man," Oke said.
The cleric also criticised lawmakers for prioritising restrictions on religious activities while, according to him, failing to adequately address the country's worsening security challenges.
"You are not going after killers, kidnappers, bandits, rapists and others carrying illegal weapons. Instead, you are targeting people who preach a message of peace that transforms lives. We will not listen to you because you are not God," he said.
Oke further warned supporters of the proposed legislation to reconsider their position, declaring that Christians would continue to oppose the measure.
His comments come amid growing opposition from Christian leaders to the proposed amendment, which prescribes a fine of N50,000 for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles.
However, the Senate has maintained that the provision is not a new addition to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Establishment Act.
In a statement issued by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the upper chamber clarified that the restriction has existed since the enactment of the FRSC Act in 2007 and is also contained in the National Road Traffic Regulations.
"The Senate has duly noted public concerns regarding the purported proscription of preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles under the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, No. 22, 2007," the statement said.
The clarification followed widespread reactions after the Senate passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which retained the provision prescribing penalties for hawking, trading and preaching inside commercial vehicles.
Several prominent Christian leaders have also expressed reservations about the proposed enforcement of the provision.
The founder of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche, recently reaffirmed that evangelism is a fundamental Christian responsibility and cautioned against any policy that could restrict peaceful gospel preaching in public spaces.
Similarly, the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has repeatedly urged Christians to remain committed to evangelism, describing soul-winning as central to the Christian faith.
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