Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has turned down an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria to attend a visa reinterview.
The literary icon said he will not take part in the process under the administration of President Donald Trump, whom he compared to former Ugandan leader Idi Amin.
The invitation was sent to Nigerians holding B1/B2 visas, with Soyinka’s appointment fixed for Thursday, September 11.
In an interview with The News, he explained that he initially thought the letter was a scam because he had never received such a request before, but later confirmed its authenticity.
Soyinka questioned the timing of the exercise, saying that September 11 is a day of mourning for Americans and should not be used for bureaucratic matters.
He said the Consulate should have suspended activities on that date in remembrance of lives lost in the 2001 attacks.
The playwright also stated that he had no interest in pursuing travel to countries where he does not feel welcome.
According to him, he has more pressing commitments than seeking visas and would not step into an embassy linked to a government he distrusts.
He maintained that his decision was not personal but rooted in principle, adding that he would rather cut ties than honour the reinterview on September 11.
He said: “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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