The Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has urged President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, over a provision prescribing a ₦50,000 fine for individuals who preach in commercial buses.
The forum described the provision as a threat to the constitutional rights of Nigerians, warning that it could heighten religious tension and undermine freedom of religion and expression.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Elder Sunday Oibe, on Saturday, NOSCEF said criminalising peaceful religious preaching in public places amounted to an infringement on citizens’ fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The group said the controversial provision had the potential to generate unnecessary tension and disrupt the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria’s diverse religious communities.
“We respectfully urge Mr. President not to allow himself to endorse legislation that could plunge the nation into avoidable controversy and deepen existing divisions,” the statement read.
According to the forum, preaching the Gospel is a sacred obligation of the Christian faith and cannot be abandoned because of any legislation.
It maintained that Christians had always conducted evangelism peacefully and without coercion, stressing that believers respected the rights of others while carrying out their religious obligations.
“As law abiding citizens, Christians have always carried out evangelism peacefully and without coercion. We do not compel anyone to embrace our faith, but we cannot surrender our God given responsibility to proclaim the Gospel wherever lawful opportunities exist,” Oibe said.
NOSCEF also questioned whether religious stakeholders were adequately consulted before the inclusion of the provision, noting that public preaching remains a common practice among both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
The forum argued that while it supported measures aimed at improving road safety and strengthening traffic law enforcement, such efforts should not be used to restrict constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
It called on the National Assembly to review the amendment and remove any provision that seeks to penalise peaceful religious preaching.
The group also appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and pursue their concerns through lawful and democratic means, insisting that the country’s unity and stability would be better protected by laws that safeguard the rights of all citizens rather than those capable of creating religious suspicion and tension.
