The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has kicked against the proposed restriction on preaching in commercial vehicles, insisting that Christians will continue to spread the gospel despite any legislation aimed at stopping the practice.
Oke made the remarks during a church sermon on Sunday, where he criticised the National Assembly over the proposed measure and said members of the PFN would resist any attempt to enforce it.
The cleric argued that preaching the gospel was a responsibility given to Christians by God and should not be restricted by lawmakers.
“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,” Oke said.
The PFN leader also accused lawmakers of directing their attention towards religious preaching instead of addressing major security challenges facing the country, including killings, kidnapping and banditry.
“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 stated.
Oke further condemned those supporting the proposed restriction, saying they should reconsider 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 added.
The comments come amid public debate over a provision linked to the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which includes penalties for activities such as preaching and hawking inside commercial vehicles.
Read: Senate Proposes N50,000 Fine for Hawking, Preaching in Commercial Vehicles
The Senate had earlier clarified that the restriction was not a new provision introduced by the amendment bill, explaining that the offences had already existed under Nigerian road traffic laws since 2007.
In a statement issued by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate said public concerns arose from a misunderstanding of the existing legal provisions.
“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 statement read.
Several Christian leaders have also criticised the reported restriction, arguing that evangelism remains a central part of the Christian faith.
The founder of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche, said preaching the gospel is a fundamental Christian responsibility and cautioned against measures that could limit peaceful evangelism in public spaces.
Similarly, Bishop David Oyedepo, the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, has continued to emphasise the importance of evangelism, urging Christians not to abandon their commitment to spreading their faith.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has also consistently encouraged believers to share their faith peacefully and in line with Christian teachings.