Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has declined an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria to attend a visa reinterview. The literary icon expressed his refusal to participate in the process under President Donald Trump, whom he likened to former Ugandan leader Idi Amin.
The invitation was extended to Nigerian citizens holding B1/B2 visas, with Soyinka’s appointment scheduled for Thursday, September 11.
In an interview with The News, Soyinka revealed that he initially suspected the letter was a scam, as he had never received such a request before. However, he later confirmed its authenticity.
Soyinka raised concerns about the timing of the reinterview, noting that September 11 is a day of mourning for Americans and should not be used for bureaucratic matters. He argued that the Consulate should have suspended activities on that date to honor the lives lost in the 2001 attacks.
The playwright emphasized that he has no desire to travel to countries where he does not feel welcome. He stated that he has more pressing commitments than seeking visas and would not enter an embassy associated with a government he distrusts.
Soyinka clarified that his decision was not personal but based on principle, asserting that he would prefer to sever ties rather than honor the reinterview on September 11. He remarked, “Are we looking in the case of the United States, at the white Idi Amin, for instance? If you look very closely at the conduct, the behaviour, the mentality of the present incumbent president, you find out there are Idi Amins of different colours. And if Idi Amin says I should come to his embassy, I would think twice before going because I don’t know what is waiting for me on the other side of the door.”
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