Ayomide Awe
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has permanently revoked his visa, a development he described as a likely consequence of his criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies.
Soyinka made the disclosure on Tuesday during a media parley held at Freedom Park, Lagos, tagged “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface!”
The literary icon said he received a letter from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos last Thursday, October 23, officially notifying him of the visa revocation.
Reading from the letter, Soyinka quoted:“Dear Mr. Soyinka, this letter serves as official notification of the United States Consulate that the non-immigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the Department of State Regulations 22 CFR 41.122 and is no longer valid for application into the United States.
Additional information became available after the visa below was issued. This revocation refers only to the visa listed below.”
The 1986 Nobel Prize winner said the revocation appeared to be linked to his long-standing opposition to Trump’s administration.
“It seems I am being witch-hunted for my criticisms of Donald Trump and his divisive policies,” he noted.
Soyinka reminded journalists that in December 2016, shortly after Trump’s election victory, he publicly tore his U.S. Green Card in protest of the president’s immigration stance.
Despite the recent development, the 90-year-old playwright said he bore no grudge against the United States or its citizens.
“I have no hard feelings. I will continue to welcome any American to my home in Abeokuta if they have anything legitimate to do with me,” he said.
He stressed that his activism transcends borders, adding that he would continue to speak against oppression, racism, and bad governance anywhere in the world.
“As a global citizen, I will continue to speak out against racism and policies that undermine human dignity — whether in the U.S., Nigeria, or elsewhere,” Soyinka declared.
Soyinka currently resides in Nigeria and continues to engage in literary and civic advocacy across the world.
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