Soludo’s Move Against Market Preachers Draws Fire

A Labour Party governorship aspirant for the 2025 Anambra election, John Nwosu, has criticized Governor Chukwuma Soludo for confronting a Christian preacher in a market.

The incident took place at Ochanja Market in Onitsha, where the governor stopped the preacher from addressing traders.

During the encounter, Governor Soludo accused the preacher of creating noise pollution and warned him of a fine of ₦500,000. He stated, “If you want to preach, go to a church. Those who want to listen will come to you; you cannot force people in the market to hear your message.”

The governor further explained that public spaces should not be turned into religious centers. He emphasized, “This is a marketplace, not a church. You are violating the law. You cannot take over a public space and turn it into a church. Otherwise, you will be charged for using this space.” He also noted that loudspeakers had been banned in markets due to their impact on people’s hearing. “You will pay ₦500,000 because we cannot allow this. We have banned loudspeakers in markets due to noise pollution, which affects people’s eardrums. You cannot force people to listen to your preaching. We are cracking down on fake pastors and prophets in Anambra,” he said.

In response, Nwosu argued that the government should focus on more critical matters rather than restricting religious activities. He pointed out that the preacher was exercising his constitutional rights to freedom of speech and religion.

Commenting on the situation, Nwosu said, “There is a trending video in which Gov. Charles Soludo is chastising a preacher for preaching in the marketplace. Government ought to have more pressing governance issues to tackle. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion allow anyone to profess or promote their beliefs so long as it is not injurious to society.”

He further questioned whether the governor would also ban weekly prayers in markets. “This window dressing, presumably aimed at protecting the quality of life, is an overreach. Will Gov. Soludo also stop weekly prayers in the various markets? State cannot regulate religion, and that applies to individuals engaged in proselytizing as it applies to the churches and mosques,” he said.
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