Prominent Christian leaders have urged the Federal Government to prioritize the nation’s worsening security challenges over attempting to ban preaching in commercial vehicles, as opposition mounts against the proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act.
Reacting to the development, the General Overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, called on the authorities to shift their focus toward protecting citizens rather than penalizing religious activities on public transport.
Oyedepo questioned the government’s priorities, noting that restoring safety across the country should take precedence over regulating bus evangelism when many Nigerians cannot sleep peacefully in their homes due to rampant insecurity.
Echoing similar concerns, the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, firmly rejected the proposed restriction, asserting that Christians will continue to preach in commercial buses and public spaces regardless of the bill.
The PFN President maintained that criminalizing bus preaching unfairly targets Christians who regularly conduct outreach in public transit, describing the proposed measure as an infringement on constitutional rights to freedom of expression and worship.
Recall that the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele had earlier clarified that the controversial provision has been widely misrepresented.
Bamidele explained that the prohibition of hawking and preaching inside moving commercial vehicles is not a new law introduced by the current Senate, but a long-standing safety measure embedded in Section 10(4) of the FRSC Act of 2007 and the National Road Traffic Regulations of 2012.
Bamidele further noted that the amendment bill originated as a concurrence measure from the House of Representatives aimed strictly at enhancing passenger safety and preventing driver distractions.
He reassured the public that the legislation is not intended to suppress religious freedom or ban street evangelism, emphasizing that the parliamentary amendment process remains open for stakeholder engagement before final passage.