Soyinka, 91, who recently compared US president to Idi Amin, says ‘I have no visa – I am banned’
The Trump administration has revoked the visa for Wole Soyinka,the acclaimed Nigerian Nobel prize-winning writer who has been critical of Trump since his first presidency, Soyinka revealed on Tuesday.
“I want to assure the consulate … that I’m very content with the revocation of my visa,” Soyinka, who won the 1986 Nobel prize for literature,told a news conference.
Soyinka previously held permanent residency in the United States, though he destroyed his green card after Donald Trump’s first election in 2016.
Soyinka speculated that his recent comments comparing Trump to the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin might have struck a nerve and contributed to the US consulate’s decision.
Under the Trump administration’s hardline crackdown, visa applicants are facing increased scrutiny, and current holders are dealing with more frequent revocations. State Department officials are flexing broad authority to cancel or deny visas, often citing national security concerns. Critics say these measures disproportionately target outspoken critics, including university students, academics, and activists involved in political causes such as pro-Palestine protests, raising concerns about freedom of speech.
Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, has been openly critical of Trump for years.
He said his recent description of Trump as “Idi Amin in white face,” could have played a role in the revocation of his visa.
Amin ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979 and his regime was infamous for its brutality and widespread human rights abuses. He is also known for ordering the expulsion of his country’s Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave the country.
Soyinka had previously held U.S. permanent residency, but destroyed his green card after Trump’s first election win in 2016.
He said that earlier this year, the U.S. consulate in Lagos summoned him for an interview to reassess his visa status, a meeting he chose not to attend.
“I want to assure the consulate…that I’m very content with the revocation of my visa,” Soyinka said.
At the press conference, he read aloud the cancellation letter from the consulate, which invoked U.S. State Department rules allowing consular officers to revoke non-immigrant visas at their discretion.
Soyinka, born on 13 July 1934 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, is a renowned playwright, poet, essayist and public intellectual. He became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, recognized for his wide-ranging literary work that blends cultural reflection with political engagement. His writing often explores themes of oppression, human rights and social justice.
Author: Dr Funmi Beckley
fumbeck@gmail.com
Abeokuta, Nigeria
