The Kings & Priests Political Mobilisation Initiatives (KAPPMI), a religious advocacy body, has condemned a provision in the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, that would impose a ₦50,000 fine on individuals caught preaching inside commercial vehicles, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold his assent should the bill reach his desk in its current form.
In a statement signed by its Director General, Pastor Stanley Omoniyi Ajileye, KAPPMI said that while it supports genuine efforts to improve road safety, it considers the proposed fine unnecessary, discriminatory in effect, and capable of stoking religious tension in a country that has invested heavily in interfaith harmony.
The group questioned the rationale behind singling out preaching as a road safety hazard, asking how it could pose a greater distraction to drivers than ordinary passenger conversation, loud music, political debate, or other in-vehicle activity that goes unregulated. It also pointed to the inconsistency of targeting sermons delivered inside vehicles while roadside public address systems used by religious organisations to broadcast sermons to passersby face no similar restriction.
KAPPMI argued that existing public order and safety laws are already sufficient to address any passenger conduct that genuinely endangers other road users, and that creating a specific offence for preaching risks criminalising lawful religious expression rather than tackling dangerous behaviour directly.
The organisation further contended that lawmakers have shown comparatively little urgency in addressing other, more direct threats to traffic flow, citing recurring incidents in which roads are blocked for hours by religious gatherings, stranding commuters and disrupting economic activity. It described the bill’s focus on preaching as “a classic case of leaving leprosy to seek a remedy for ringworm.”
KAPPMI called on the National Assembly to reconsider the provision and hold broader consultations with religious leaders, civil society organisations, transport unions, and constitutional lawyers before any such measure affecting fundamental freedoms is enacted. The group said it rejects the provision in its entirety, urging President Tinubu to decline assent, and maintaining that road safety objectives can be achieved without measures that many Nigerians may perceive as targeting religious expression.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, remains before the National Assembly. It was not immediately clear when lawmakers would take further action on the legislation.
