In what's shaping up to be one of the more whimsical moments of local politics this April Fools' Day, Cambridge City Councilor Burhan Azeem has splurged on a prank that takes a playful swipe at Boston, by buying 77 billboards across the city to "air a 400-year-old grudge," pushing a faux proposal to annex Boston, creating what he has dubbed as 'MegaCambridge.'

Azeem, who has a history of good-natured pranks, claims the move is rooted in a historical slight dating back to 1630, when Cambridge was initially chosen as the capital of Massachusetts—a title Boston ultimately snagged, "'In 1630, Cambridge was chosen to be capital,' reads the ad. 'That was until Boston took that from us. It's time to fix that. Let's annex Boston," the Cambridge official’s billboard message, as NBC Boston reported, but Azeem stressed that this stunt, which cost him $5,000, is more than just a jest—it's a call to promote regional unity, especially in matters concerning transportation and public infrastructure like the MBTA.

This isn't Azeem's first rodeo in the satirical rodeo of imaginary territorial expansions, having previously suggested bringing Cambridge and Somerville together under the banner of 'Camberville,' though always with an undertone of encouraging local collaboration, according to a two years ago initiative. While on the surface it appears lighthearted, Azeem has used this year’s April Foolery to subtly spotlight the disparities in fiscal health between the cities, mentioning, "We do a great job of running our city, I think that Boston has been running into some budget issues; I saw their school budget was struggling," Azeem observed in a phone interview with The Boston Globe.

The thrust of Azeem's jest touches down significantly as it draws parallels between the two cities, both hubs for major sectors including medical, financial, and biotech, connected via mass transit and public infrastructure – his antics bring to the fore the fact that, though separate, Cambridge and Boston share a kinship that perhaps policy and administration could better reflect. “If Boston needs any financial help, we’d be happy to bail them out,” Azeem tidily quipped, albeit beneath this jest lies an earnest nod toward neighborliness in municipal governance. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's office, when alerted to the ad gag, did not comment, reflecting perhaps a shared understanding that in the realm of politics as in comedy—timing is everything.