Wole Soyinka claims US visa revocation after criticizing Donald Trump, calls it “a permanent ban”

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has revealed that his US B1/B2 visa has been revoked, claiming the decision came as retaliation for his outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump.

The celebrated writer disclosed the development during a press briefing in Lagos on October 27, 2025, where he branded Trump “Idi Amin in whiteface,” intensifying his long-standing feud with the American leader.

According to Soyinka, he received an official State Department letter dated October 23, notifying him that his visa was being withdrawn based on “additional information”, without further clarification. The letter, he said, explicitly stated that the revocation was permanent — a move he described as “a badge of honor for truth-tellers.”

The rift traces back nearly a decade: Soyinka famously tore up his US green card in 2016 to protest Trump’s election, vowing never to visit the country while he remained in power. He also refused a visa re-interview request in September 2025, calling it “humiliating” and unnecessary given his decades of compliance.

The recent decision, however, underscores the growing diplomatic chill between the US and several outspoken foreign intellectuals, particularly under Trump’s renewed immigration tightening policies.

Reports from multiple outlets, including BBC and Reuters, confirm that Washington has reduced Nigerian visa privileges, cutting multi-entry durations to single-entry three-month limits for many applicants — a move widely seen as part of a broader strategy to curb dissent and perceived “anti-American sentiment.”

Soyinka’s supporters have rallied behind him, viewing the action as a free speech violation against one of Africa’s most respected voices. However, Nigerian social media remains divided.

Some users mocked the octogenarian playwright, citing his domestic political controversies and frequent criticism of successive Nigerian governments. Others expressed concern that silencing global intellectuals reflects an authoritarian shift in US foreign policy, particularly under Trump’s second term.

As the story gains traction, Soyinka maintains that his conscience remains clear:

“I have lost a visa, not my voice. If defending humanity’s sanity makes me an enemy of Trump’s America, then so be it.”

The episode not only revives debate over America’s moral standing on free expression but also casts a spotlight on Soyinka’s enduring defiance — a hallmark of a man who, even at 91, remains unflinchingly vocal against what he calls “the theater of absurdity in global politics.”