The Acadêmicos de Niterói samba school was relegated from the Special Group to the Access Group in Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, after receiving only two perfect scores in its parade honoring President Lula. The judging took place on Wednesday, 18, and highlighted flaws in the parade's execution. Opposition governors reacted with irony to the outcome.
The Acadêmicos de Niterói, which presented a parade honoring President Lula (PT), was relegated from Rio de Janeiro's Special Group Carnival to the Access Group in 2027. The judging of results took place on this Wednesday, 18, revealing that the school received only two perfect scores of 10, both in the samba-enredo category, which evaluates the music's composition. Out of the total 36 scores – four for each of the nine criteria – there were no other maximum points, citing poor finishing, evolution errors, and lack of investment as reasons for the poor performance.
The school's parade was marked by these technical issues, leading to its exit from the top tier. In response to the relegation, governors eyed for the 2026 presidential race, such as Romeu Zema (Novo) from Minas Gerais and Ronaldo Caiado (PSD) from Goiás, expressed irony. Zema commented: “The first PT defeat in 2026 has already come, and we're very sad about this news.” Caiado posted: “The only possible reaction is laughter. May the relegation of Acadêmicos de Niterói, the samba school that honored Lula, be the first of many PT defeats in 2026”.
Other potential candidates, such as Ratinho Jr. (PSD) from Paraná; Eduardo Leite (PSD) from Rio Grande do Sul; and Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) from São Paulo, had not commented by the time of the reports' publication. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) also reacted, stating: “Lula is always a bad idea.” He added: “Let's never forget: family is sacred. After this school, the next relegation will be for Lula and the PT.” These reactions highlight the political slant tied to the parade's theme, but the main focus remains on the technical outcome of the judging.
