The former vice president maintained that democracy thrives not only on free and fair elections but also on the independence and impartiality of public institutions. “The selective and politically convenient deployment of state institutions diminishes public trust and weakens the democratic order. “Freezing the state’s allocation account is not merely an attack on the Osun State Government; it is a direct assault on the people of Osun State, whose salaries, essential public services and daily governance stand to suffer. Mr Atiku further accused President Bola Tinubu of using state institutions to suppress the opposition rather than combat corruption. Democracy cannot coexist with the systematic weaponisation of state institutions against political opponents.