The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has rejected the proposed provision in the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Amendment Bill, 2026, which prescribes a ₦50,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment for anyone convicted of preaching, hawking or trading inside commercial vehicles.
The Christian body said it would continue evangelising in buses despite the proposed sanction, arguing that preaching the Gospel is a constitutional and biblical obligation that cannot be curtailed by legislation.
Speaking after the PFN’s third-quarter National Executive Council meeting in Lagos, the fellowship’s National Secretary, Bishop David Bakare, urged President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the bill, describing the controversial provision as unnecessary and capable of creating religious tension.
According to Bakare, while the PFN supports initiatives aimed at improving road safety, criminalising preaching in commercial buses is not the solution to the country’s transportation challenges.
“If they arrest us, they should go ahead. We will continue to preach the Gospel,” he said, insisting that Christians would not be deterred from carrying out evangelism.
The controversy stems from the passage of the FRSC Amendment Bill by the National Assembly, which retains a provision prescribing a ₦50,000 fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both, for hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles upon conviction. The bill is awaiting presidential assent.
However, the Senate has clarified that the provision is not a new law. According to the upper chamber, the prohibition has existed under the FRSC (Establishment) Act since 2007 and the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012. Lawmakers said the ongoing amendment merely retains and renumbers the existing provision rather than introducing a fresh ban on bus preaching.
The Senate also stressed that the legislation does not prohibit street preaching or other forms of public evangelism, but is intended to address activities inside commercial vehicles that could distract drivers and compromise road safety.
Several Christian organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), have also criticised the proposed enforcement of the provision, arguing that it could infringe on citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression. They have called for a review of the legislation before it receives presidential assent.
The debate has sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians, with supporters of the provision arguing that it would improve safety in commercial vehicles, while critics contend that it places unnecessary restrictions on religious expression. President Tinubu is yet to decide whether to sign the amendment bill into law.
