The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has alleged that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is the driving force behind preaching in commercial buses, describing the association’s opposition to the proposed legislation banning the practice as an “admission of guilt.”
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, reacted to comments by the South-West Chairman of CAN, Bishop Barnabas Akinsanya, who had rejected the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)-backed bill seeking to prohibit preaching inside commercial vehicles.
According to Akintola, CAN’s public rejection of the bill confirms the group’s longstanding belief that the umbrella Christian body sponsors and enables bus evangelism.
“We know the real culprit now that CAN has come out openly in its real nomenclature. CAN is the sponsor, the employer and the enabler of bus preachers,” he stated.
MURIC argued that CAN’s reliance on constitutional rights to oppose the bill ignores the rights of other passengers who may not wish to participate in religious activities while travelling.
The group maintained that while individuals are entitled to freedom of religion, such rights should not infringe on the rights of fellow commuters to enjoy a peaceful journey.
Akintola questioned whether the constitutional rights of a single preacher should outweigh those of the other passengers and the driver, stressing that commercial buses often carry people with different beliefs and interests.
He further argued that bus preaching could distract drivers and create unnecessary discomfort for passengers who may be resting, studying or attending to other personal matters during transit.
MURIC insisted that religious preaching should be conducted in designated places of worship or within vehicles dedicated to religious activities, rather than in public commercial transport used by people of diverse faiths.
The organisation warned that continued opposition to the proposed legislation could heighten religious tensions, alleging that many Muslims have silently endured unsolicited preaching in commercial buses.
It urged the National Assembly to proceed with the bill and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resist what it described as attempts to pressure the Presidency into rejecting the legislation.
MURIC said the proposed law would promote peaceful coexistence, protect the rights of all commuters and ensure that public transportation remains free from religious imposition.
The group also urged CAN leaders to provide what it described as responsible religious leadership by promoting peaceful and orderly evangelism consistent with biblical teachings.
