PFN Vows to Continue Bus Preaching Despite Proposed FRSC Bill

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has vowed to continue preaching in commercial buses despite the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to impose a ₦50,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment for preaching, hawking or trading in commercial vehicles.

Speaking after the fellowship’s third-quarter National Executive Council meeting in Lagos, PFN National Secretary, Bishop David Bakare, said the proposed legislation unfairly targets Christians and could heighten religious tension.

“We are of the opinion that this law is targeted against Christians,” Bakare said, noting that Christians are the ones who commonly preach in commercial buses. He argued that while the fellowship supports efforts to improve road safety, preaching should not be classified as a traffic offence.

Bakare urged President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the bill if passed by the National Assembly, saying Nigeria’s pressing challenges including insecurity and economic hardship, deserve greater legislative attention.

Also addressing journalists, PFN National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, declared that Christians would not stop evangelising in commercial buses, insisting that the church would continue preaching regardless of the proposed law.

PFN National Treasurer, Rev. Dr. Sam Aboyeji, also criticised the provision banning hawking in commercial vehicles, arguing that many Nigerians depend on informal trading for survival and should not be further burdened by legislation.

The proposed FRSC Amendment Bill, which is awaiting presidential assent, has continued to generate reactions from religious bodies, with critics arguing that the provision on preaching could infringe on the constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression.