CCYF Petitions Tinubu, Senate, NSA Over Bill To Ban Preaching In Buses

By RhemDy News

The Concerned Christian Youth Forum  (CCYF) on Friday, July 24, 2026, petitioned President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President and Department of State Services (DSS), opposing a bill seeking to outlaw preaching in commercial buses.

The Senate had last week passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, where it proposed a N50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles.

According to the lawmakers, the bill, now pending before the president for his assent, seeks to strengthen road safety enforcement and curb practices considered capable of distracting drivers.

The amendment forms part of a broader review of the FRSC Act aimed at increasing compliance with traffic regulations, reducing road crashes and enhancing safety on Nigerian roads through stiffer penalties for traffic offences.

In a statement on Saturday, Convener of Concerned Christian Youth Forum, James Paul Adama, disclosed that the Forum visited key offices where it formally delivered the letter opposing the proposed ban.

"Yesterday (Friday), we paid visits to several key offices, including the Presidential Villa, the Nigerian Senate, the National Headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Office of the National Security Adviser, to deliver our formal letter concerning the proposed bill seeking to ban preaching in buses.

"The Concerned Christian Youth Forum  (CCYF) makes it abundantly clear that this bill stands in direct opposition to our God-given right to preach the Gospel and violates our constitutional right to freedom of religion," Adama maintained.

He further disclosed that the Forum will stage a peaceful protest nationwide between August 14 and 18 to defend the constitutional rights of Christians.

"We further stated that we shall organise and stage massive peaceful protests across the country in defence of these fundamental rights by 14-18th of August 2026," he said.

Earlier, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has also opposed the proposed legislation, insisting that the while the government had a responsibility to ensure public safety, it also had an obligation to protect fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

CAN, through a statement by its South West Region Chairman, Bishop Barnabas Tunde Akinsanya, particularly faulted the proposed sanction for preaching in commercial buses, arguing that a blanket restriction on religious preaching, without clear evidence that it constituted a direct threat to public safety, could amount to an unnecessary limitation on religious liberty.

“While government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure public safety, it also has an equal obligation to uphold the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression," Bishop Akinsanya argued.