Soyinka Rejects US Consulate Visa Reinterview Invitation

Wole Soyinka rejected a US Consulate visa reinterview invitation.
He criticised the Trump administration, likening it to Idi Amin’s rule.
Soyinka said his refusal was based on principle, not personal interest.

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has rejected an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria to attend a visa reinterview, citing distrust in the administration of US President Donald Trump.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Consulate had issued letters to Nigerians holding B1/B2 visas, including Soyinka, with his appointment scheduled for Thursday, September 11. However, the renowned playwright and activist made it clear he would not honour the invitation.

In an interview with The News, Soyinka revealed he initially dismissed the letter as a scam, noting that he had never received such a request in the past. Upon confirming its authenticity, he questioned both the process and its timing.

According to him, September 11 is a symbolic day of mourning for Americans, marking the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, and should not be used for routine bureaucratic activities.

“The Consulate should have suspended activities on that date in remembrance of lives lost,” Soyinka stated.

He further explained that his refusal was not about travel convenience but about principle. Soyinka said he had no interest in visiting countries where he felt unwelcome and would not step into an embassy tied to a government he distrusted.

“I have more pressing commitments than seeking visas,” he said, stressing that he would rather cut ties completely than attend the reinterview under such circumstances.

Drawing comparisons, Soyinka likened Trump’s style of leadership to that of late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

“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,” he said.