Abiru Mukhail Adetokunbo

Mukhail Adetokunbo ‘Tokunbo’ Abiru, born on 25 March 1964, is a Nigerian banker and politician who serves as the senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly.

He completed advanced management training at Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, holding a BSc (Economics) from Lagos State University. He is also a Fellow of ICAN and an Honorary Senior Member of CIBN.

Abiru rose to prominence as executive director at First Bank Nigeria (2013–2016), later serving as Honourable Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State under Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration from 2011 to 2013.

Prior to his political career, he was Group Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank. In July 2016, he led the CBN-led turnaround of Skye Bank, transforming it into Polaris Bank and stabilizing Nigeria’s financial system.

He has served on boards such as Airtel Mobile Networks Limited, FBN Capital (now Quest Merchant Bank), FBN Bank Sierra Leone, and NIBSS. During COVID-19, he donated 150,000 face masks to schools in his district.

As Finance Commissioner, Abiru oversaw an N80 billion bond issuance by Lagos State, earning a Best Local Currency Bond Award from EMEA Finance in 2012. He also introduced reforms targeting tax evasion and increased Land Use Charge revenue generation (N6.2bn).

He championed housing initiatives through the Lagos HOMs Committee to address the state’s deficit. Named chairman of the Senate Banking Committee in August 2023, he was elected to the senate via a bye-election on December 5, 2020.

Abiru resigned from Polaris Bank in August 2020 to contest the Lagos East senatorial election under APC.