PFN Says Bus Preaching Ban Threatens Religious Freedom
President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has strongly opposed the National Assembly’s position on preaching inside commercial vehicles.
The cleric urged Christians across the country to continue evangelising in buses and taxis despite the controversy. According to him, any attempt to stop public preaching would face stiff resistance from millions of believers.
Speaking in a viral video, Oke declared that Christians have a biblical obligation to preach in public places. The PFN leader argued that no law could override that responsibility.
Drawing parallels with the persecution of early Christians, the bishop said believers would refuse to comply with any legislation that restricts gospel outreach.
Referring to the experience of the early church, Oke said Christians had faced similar attempts to silence their faith in the past. According to the cleric, if authorities decide to enforce a ban on preaching in commercial vehicles, they should prepare to detain millions of believers because Christians would not stop sharing the gospel.
Oke maintained that Christians would not abandon evangelism in buses or any other public space. The PFN president said believers remain bound by Christ’s command to spread the gospel everywhere and would place that obligation above any directive that contradicts their faith.
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Addressing Pentecostal members, Oke encouraged them to keep preaching in taxis and buses across the country. The cleric maintained that authorities could not imprison the estimated 65 million members of the fellowship.
Oke said authorities could detain Christians if they wished, adding that even converting the National Stadium into a detention facility would not stop believers from preaching. Build more prisons if necessary. We will not stop preaching the gospel of peace,” the PFN leader said.
Oke also criticised the government’s priorities. The bishop questioned why security agencies focus on gospel preaching while kidnappers, bandits, rapists and other violent criminals remain active.
The cleric further warned lawmakers backing the proposed restriction, saying they would ultimately answer for their actions.
Meanwhile, the Senate said the restriction on preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles is not a newly introduced measure but an existing provision in the law. Lawmakers explained that the provision has existed since the enactment of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Establishment Act in 2007 and remains part of the ongoing amendment process.
Content Credit: Esther Adeyemi
Image Credit: Facebook.com
