The Academicos de Niteroi samba school, known for honoring President Lula (PT) during this year's Carnival parade, faced relegation back to the Group Ouro after a disappointing performance, scoring only 264.6 points. This marks a significant decline for the school, which had just ascended to the prestigious Special Group the previous year. The event took place during Carnival at the renowned Sapucaí venue, where various samba schools compete for glory.

During their parade, the school not only celebrated Lula's political legacy but also made pointed criticisms of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), portraying him as the clown 'Bozo' in a provocative commentary on Brazilian politics. The school's artistic direction aimed to blend homage with contemporary political critique, a move that sparked debate around the appropriateness of political content in a festive and competitive environment, especially in an election year.

The winner of this year's competition was another Niterói school, Viradouro, which paid tribute to long-serving battery master Ciça. The event attracted attention not just for its artistic content, but also for the unexpected presence of First Lady Rosângela da Silva (known as Janja), who was expected to participate in the parade but instead observed alongside Lula, raising eyebrows about her absence from the festivities. The decision to include political symbols in the samba-enredo has fueled discussions of potential electioneering in the lead-up to the upcoming national elections.