The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has strongly opposed the proposed restriction on preaching in commercial buses, declaring that Christians would continue to evangelise regardless of any legislation seeking to curb the practice.

Speaking during a church sermon, Oke described the measure as an attack on Christians’ constitutional and biblical responsibility to preach the gospel, insisting that members of the fellowship would resist its enforcement.

“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,” he said.

The cleric accused lawmakers of focusing on religious preaching instead of tackling insecurity and violent crimes across the country.

According to him, “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,” he said.

The cleric also criticised the National Assembly for, in his view, prioritising restrictions on religious activities instead of addressing insecurity, kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.

“You do not go after killers; you are not going after those beheading people; you are not going after rapists or kidnappers. Instead, you are going after those preaching the message of peace that changes lives. We wouldn’t listen to you. You are not God,” he said.

Oke warned that Christians would resist any attempt to implement the law, adding that those behind the proposal should reconsider their position.

His comments come amid growing reactions from Christian leaders over reports that the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Establishment Act would impose penalties on individuals who preach, hawk or engage in unsolicited religious activities inside commercial vehicles.