The National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has declared that the Pentecostal body stands fully behind the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), insisting that any attack on Catholic bishops should be seen as an attack on the entire Christian Church in Nigeria.
Speaking during a recent interview, Oke endorsed the concerns raised by Cardinal John Onaiyekan during a recent visit by Catholic bishops to President Bola Tinubu, where the delegation reportedly told the President that “Nigeria is bleeding.”
Reacting to the statement, the PFN president said the bishops were only expressing the reality facing many communities across the country.
“Are we not bleeding? Are we not bleeding in Benue? Are we not bleeding in Southern Kaduna? Are we not bleeding in Gwoza, in Borno State? Are we not bleeding in Kwara? Are we not bleeding in Oyo State?” Oke asked.
He criticised what he described as attempts to attack or discredit the Catholic bishops for speaking openly about the country’s security challenges.
“Should anybody attack a Catholic bishop for saying that? That is the obvious truth,” he said.
‘The Church Of Jesus Christ Is One’
Oke dismissed suggestions that Christian denominations should be treated separately on national issues, stressing that the Church remains united despite doctrinal differences.
“The Church of Jesus Christ is one. There may be many denominations, but we have one faith, one Lord, one baptism. The Church is one. If they attack the Catholic bishops, they are attacking the whole Church,” he stated.
PFN Rejects Proposed Bus Preaching Fine
The PFN leader also reacted strongly to the controversy surrounding a proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act that seeks to impose a ₦50,000 fine on bus preachers.
Although the Senate later clarified that the provision had existed since 2007 and was only being re-listed, Oke insisted that it should be removed entirely.
“We will break that law. Dear Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we will rather obey God than man,” he declared.
Oke said he had personally preached in commercial buses since 1975 without causing accidents or disturbing public order.
He added:
“If you want to imprison us for preaching the gospel, we are ready. If you want to make all the stadiums in Nigeria prisons, we are ready. We would rather obey God than man.”
Calls For Nigeria To Leave OIC
Beyond the bus preaching issue, the PFN president urged the National Assembly to address what he described as more fundamental national concerns, including Nigeria’s membership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
According to him, Nigeria was taken into the organisation during military rule without the consent of the Nigerian people.
“The Senate should deal with that and pull Nigeria out of the OIC,” he said.
Demands Review Of 1999 Constitution
Oke also called for an urgent review of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that the document does not adequately reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity.
“In that Constitution, Islam is mentioned hundreds of times. Christianity is mentioned once. And Christians in Nigeria are a little over 50 per cent of the population,” he claimed.
He described the constitution as a product of military rule and argued that it does not represent the wishes of ordinary Nigerians.
Raises Concern Over Killings
The PFN president further alleged that Christians remain major targets of extremist violence in several states, including Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Oyo, Kwara and Edo.
He added that liberal Muslims who reject extremist ideologies are also victims of the violence.
“The Senate should invite the Church for a talk. Nigerians are being killed. You are sitting there making evil laws. We will break that law,” he said.
Despite his public criticism, Oke disclosed that the PFN is also engaging with the Presidency privately in an effort to find solutions to the country’s security challenges.
His comments come amid ongoing national debates over insecurity, religious relations, constitutional reform and the role of faith-based organisations in speaking out on governance and public policy issues.
