The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Wale Oke, has described the proposed penalty for preaching inside commercial buses as an “evil decree”, declaring that Christians will continue evangelising despite the measure.
Oke, who spoke during a church sermon on Sunday, rejected the proposal, accused lawmakers of giving priority to bus preaching instead of violent crime, and insisted that believers would obey God’s command to preach the gospel.
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Oke’s statement responded to criticism over the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, after the Senate passed the bill with a proposed N50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles.
The Senate later explained that the provision is not a new part of the law, insisting it has existed since 2007 under the Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act and the National Road Traffic Regulations.
PFN rejects proposed restriction
Oke said members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria would not stop preaching in commercial buses because evangelism is a duty given to Christians.
He said, “Make all the stadiums in Nigeria become prisons; if you want to enforce that law, we are coming. We will break that law. Our Master told us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
You sit somewhere there, and you are saying we shouldn’t preach in buses. We will preach in buses! We will preach everywhere! Because you are making evil decrees. We will rather obey God than man.”
The cleric also faulted lawmakers for paying more attention to regulating preaching than tackling violent crimes.
“You don’t go after killers; you are not going after those beheading; you are not going after rapists; you are not going after kidnappers. You are not going after bandits who are unlawfully carrying arms.
You are going after us who are preaching the message of peace that changes people’s lives. We wouldn’t listen to you. You are not God!” he said.
Oke also warned those backing the legislation to change their position.
“Those promoting that law, God will cut them off. We will rain curses upon you and your family unless you repent. This law, we will break it,” he said.
Senate defends provision
The PFN president’s comments followed reactions from Christian leaders over the proposed legislation, which prescribes penalties for people who preach or engage in unsolicited religious activities inside commercial buses.
Responding to the criticism, the Senate said the provision did not originate from the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate said the restriction on preaching, hawking and trading inside commercial vehicles has been part of Nigerian law since 2007.
Part of the statement read, “The Senate has duly noticed public concerns on the purported proscription of preaching and hawking in a commercial vehicle under the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, No. 22, 2007.”
The Senate has affirmed that the ongoing amendment did not introduce a new offence, insisting that the restriction had already been contained in the existing Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act and the National Road Traffic Regulations.
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