Preaching Ban: We Will Preach In Buses, Evangelism Will Continue, PFN Insists

THE Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has rejected any move to restrict preaching in commercial buses, insisting that Christians will continue to evangelise, despite any legal attempt to limit the practice.     The organisation insisted that preventing believers from preaching in buses and other public places would amount to a violation of their constitutional right to freely practise and propagate their faith.     PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke, speaking on a television programme, maintaining that preaching the gospel remains a constitutional and religious obligation for Christians, adding: “We will preach in buses.     “If they want to imprison us, let them come and arrest us. We will continue to preach in buses because no one can stop us.”     Oke restated that Christians would continue public evangelism, regardless of any proposed legislation, noting: “If they want to enforce such a law, let them turn all the stadiums in Nigeria into prisons. We are coming. We will preach in buses and everywhere.”     Oke described the proposed restriction as an unfair attack on Christians rather than a genuine road safety measure, stressing that Nigeria’s status as a multi-religious nation guarantees citizens the freedom to publicly express and share their religious beliefs.     The controversy followed the proposed amendments to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Establishment Act, with reports suggesting that it seeks to ban preaching in commercial vehicles.     However, the senate has dismissed reports that the legislation seeks to ban street preaching or restrict religious activities in public spaces, insisting the amendment is solely intended to strengthen road safety and protect commuters.     It further clarified that the amendment does not create any new offence, as preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles have been prohibited 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, with the relevant provision, previously listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the Act, now merely been renumbered as Item 49 in the proposed amendment.     It explained that the amendment was passed by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate as a Concurrence Bill, urging religious organisations and other stakeholders with concerns to participate constructively in the legislative process through the appropriate channels, even as it reaffirmed commitment to transparency, constitutional rights, public participation and road safety.