The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) denounced on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, what it calls an "illegal obstruction" to the departure from the national territory of MP Octávio Lopes, which occurred at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in Bissau.

According to a statement of repudiation and political condemnation published by the PAIGC National Secretariat, Octávio Lopes, who is also the national representative of the party's presidential candidate, Fernando Dias da Costa, was prevented from traveling to Dakar, Senegal, on a regular Asky flight, despite being in possession of all the legally required documents.

The obstruction was perpetrated by the migration and border services without presentation of any court order or written administrative decision, allegedly citing only a "higher order", according to the newspaper "O Democrata" which picked up the PAIGC statement.

For the party, the situation constitutes a case of "abuse of power", representing a violation of the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic, as well as an affront to parliamentary immunities and prerogatives.

The PAIGC further argues that this episode is not isolated, placing it within an alleged "systematic pattern of political persecution." In this regard, it recalls the events of November 26, 2025, when Octávio Lopes was detained for 43 days, along with Domingos Simões Pereira, president of the National People's Assembly and of the PAIGC, Roberto Mbesba, leader of the PRS, and, later, Marciano Indi, a member of parliament for the Nation and ECOWAS.

According to "O Democrata", the PAIGC National Secretariat stated that the deputy was never informed of any legal basis justifying his detention or subsequent release and there are currently no legal proceedings or restrictive measures limiting his freedom of movement.

For this reason, the PAIGC considers that the arrests that took place in November 2025 constituted "one of the most serious setbacks for the democratic gains" of the country and believes that Tuesday's episode demonstrates the continuation of an alleged logic of political intimidation.

In this document, the party also warns against "an escalation of illegal restrictions and persecution against political leaders," the newspaper reports.