It was double happiness at the people’s house of NYC last night. Not even the ongoing indictment against Mayor Eric Adams could deter his strong desire to celebrate his beloved African constituents in diaspora. “Africa Day” and Nigerian Independence Day were front and center on his agenda, with one his right hand woman Guinean-American, Aissata Camara at the helm. The Mayor started the auspicious day in the morning with a Nigerian flag raising ceremony in downtown Manhattan, to the tune of the Nation’s anthem. The festivity crescendoed with a lavish bash at the lawn of his official residence uptown. Carefully curated selection of invited esteemed guests feasted on catered/sponsored authentic African cuisines and drinks. The world renowned Jollof Rice was noticeably present and popular amongst the guests. It surprisingly made it into Mayor’s speech, where he cleverly declared (with great risk) the Nigerian jollof as the winner. Taking a job at the world famous never ending “Jollof War” across West African nations.The vibe was exceptionally positive and festive, with guests dressed in their various national attire in honor of the day.
Shortly after the Mayor gave his highly anticipated speech, he made himself accessible to his guests, granting lengthy greetings and photo ops. It was a stark contrast to the Juneteenth celebration months ago in June when he hardly set foot beyond the stage and hopped out behind the curtains and ceased to be seen afterwards. Needless to say, with the ongoing indictment hovering in the air, the African community at large have chosen to stand by him. One of the celebratory citation award recipient of the night, Mr Bakary Camara, was quick to remind the guests of the very first tragedy that rocked the city during the Mayor’s first week in office. The devastating incident was over a dozen Africans killed in a fire in the Bronx. The very same tragedy that saw Cardi B offering to pick up their burial expenses.The debacle touched on some raw nerves in the audience. A great strategy to remind the guests of where to put their political allegiance at his witching hour of need. During his speech, the Mayor jokingly beseeched his beloved Africans to work their little magic in getting him over the troubled hurdles and ahead in the polls, come election day. A perfect comedic timing if I dare say so myself. 😎
The festivities will continue on Saturday on Madison Avenue with the Nigerian Independence Day parade, where the Mayor is expected to participate.
Be sure to watch the event’s video and Mayor’s speech posted on instagram.
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