The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has strongly criticised the National Assembly over plans to prohibit preaching in commercial buses across the country.

The cleric urged Christians to continue preaching in buses and taxis, insisting that no legislation could stop believers from fulfilling the biblical mandate to spread the gospel. He challenged lawmakers to enforce the proposed restriction, declaring that it would be impossible to imprison the more than 65 million Christians he claimed to represent.

Speaking in a viral video message to members of the fellowship, Oke maintained that Christians would defy any law seeking to restrict public evangelism.

"In those days, the churches were told not to preach again, just as the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is telling you not to preach in buses. If they want to enforce that law, let all the stadiums in Nigeria become prisons because we are coming," he said.

"We will break that law because our Master commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. How can anyone say we should not preach in buses? We will preach in buses, we will preach everywhere because such a decree is evil. We would rather obey God than man."

The PFN president directed Pentecostal Christians nationwide to continue evangelising in public transport, saying they should not be intimidated by the proposed legislation.

"I am the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. I lead over 65 million people. Everybody should go into every taxi and every bus and preach. Let them arrest us. Let them turn the National Stadium into a prison. Let them build more prisons. We will continue to preach," he declared.

Oke also faulted lawmakers for what he described as misplaced priorities, accusing them of targeting peaceful Christians instead of criminals involved in violent offences.

"You don't go after killers, kidnappers, rapists or bandits carrying illegal weapons, but you are going after those preaching the gospel of peace. We will not listen to you because you are not God. Your tenure is temporary, but God's authority is eternal," he said.

He further warned those behind the proposed legislation to reconsider their position, saying Christians would remain steadfast in their commitment to public evangelism and would resist any attempt to criminalise the preaching of the gospel.

However, the Senate has clarified that the prohibition of preaching and hawking inside commercial vehicles is not a new provision introduced in the ongoing amendment of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Establishment Act.

According to the upper legislative chamber, the offences have existed under Nigerian law since 2007, stressing that the current amendment does not create a fresh ban on preaching in commercial vehicles.