Brazil's top electoral court, the TSE, has accepted a judicial investigation, known by its Portuguese initials AIJE, against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, the ticket seeking reelection in October. The case examines suspected abuse of political and economic power in a February carnival parade by the samba school Academicos de Niteroi in Rio de Janeiro. The parade told the story of Lula's life.
The decision came from the court's top electoral investigator, minister Antonio Carlos Ferreira, on Friday (September 18). The action was filed by presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the PL party and his running mate, Alfredo Gaspar. Also named as targets are first lady Janja Lula da Silva; the head of Embratur, Brazil's tourism promotion agency, and congressional candidate Marcelo Freixo of the PT; and Niteroi mayor Rodrigo Neves. Under the ruling, all have five days after notification to present a defense.
Accepting the case is a technical step, Globo's g1 news site reports. At this stage the merits are not judged and no punishment is set. The minister found only that the petition meets admissibility requirements, such as the indication of evidence and the possibility that the facts could amount to abuse of power.
What the complaint says
Flavio Bolsonaro and Alfredo Gaspar argue that economic power was abused because Rio's city hall, Niteroi's city hall, the state of Rio and Embratur channeled R$ 9.6 million to the school. CNN Brasil puts the total at R$ 9.65 million and says the petition points to unexplained private revenue, possibly from companies holding government contracts. According to the complaint, the transfers came after the parade theme was announced in mid-2025. The school finished last in the top division and was relegated. The theme, "Do alto do Mulungu surge a esperança: Lula, o operário do Brasil", traced Lula's path from his childhood in Garanhuns, in the state of Pernambuco, to his return to the presidency. Lula watched from a box on the Sapucai, alongside Rio's mayor at the time, Eduardo Paes. Janja, named in the complaint, did not parade: singer Fafa de Belem took her place on the last float.
The PL candidates also claim misuse of media. The parade aired on national broadcast television for about 79 minutes, and the recording stayed available on digital platforms. They say the exposure escaped Brazil's electoral advertising rules. They ask that Lula's and Alckmin's candidacies or diplomas be revoked and that both be declared ineligible for eight years, starting with the 2026 elections.
Lula's defense and what comes next
Lula has already answered a similar case. The Novo party also challenged the parade, and that action was accepted in August. In his defense, the president argued that carnival parades routinely portray political figures, that he merely agreed to the use of his name, that public money was spread equally among Rio's 12 schools, and that there was no gravity given the distance between Carnival and the election. Globo's g1 says the PT campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the new case.
Election law specialist Marcio Nogueira, president of the Rondonia chapter of the national bar association, told g1 that this type of case is one of the "most severe accountability instruments in electoral justice".
"The AIJE is aimed at investigating abuse of power, requiring proof of the gravity of the conduct and possibly resulting in the revocation of candidacies and ineligibility."
According to him, the action, set out in article 22 of Complementary Law 64 of 1990, covers economic and political abuse and misuse of media. The two rulings that barred Jair Bolsonaro from office until 2030 were handed down in cases of this kind.
What comes next: Lula and Alckmin will be notified and have five days to respond. In the Novo case, minister Antonio Carlos Ferreira awaits the party's filing. Flavio Bolsonaro himself faces a similar action brought by the PT over his appearance at the Barretos rodeo festival, accepted on September 7. According to g1, nine other similar cases have already been filed with the court in this year's race.