Bishop Francis Wale Oke, the leader of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has issued a sharp rebuke against the National Assembly regarding potential legislative efforts to outlaw religious preaching in commercial transit vehicles. Representing a constituency of approximately 65 million members, Oke asserted that Christians will actively disregard such a prohibition, citing a divine mandate to spread the gospel.
In a widely circulated video, the Bishop challenged the authorities to prepare for mass arrests, suggesting that officials would need to transform national stadiums into detention centers if they intended to enforce such a policy. He criticized the government for prioritizing the restriction of peaceful religious expression while failing to adequately address rising threats from kidnappers, bandits, and violent criminals.
Oke declared that his followers would continue to preach in taxis and buses, emphasizing their commitment to divine instruction over legislative decrees. He further warned that those pushing for these restrictions would face divine judgment. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate has responded to the controversy by clarifying that the regulation against preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles is not a new creation, but rather part of existing statutes from the 2007 Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act.
