Tokunbo Abiru Got The Blessing of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, As a Replacement For Late Senator Bayo Osinowo

All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State Chapter has nominated Tokunbo Abiru, a former Commissioner for Finance in the State as a replacement for Senator Bayo Osinowo, who represented Lagos East senatorial district until his death this year.

Abiru, a key loyalist of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is the immediate past managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank. While there are doubts about his political standing and experience, not many know that Abiru had served during the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola as a Commissioner. He resigned his appointment as Commissioner in 2013, to take up an executive role at First Bank Nigeria Ltd. A credible source in the party who confirmed the Development, said, he was the choice of majority of the party leaders, especially in the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).

His record of loyalty, transparency and integrity is second to none. Other interested aspirant in the position are reported to have backed out of the race having realised that the national leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have settled for Abiru. The bankers also said have secured the backing of various leaders in the zone.
Although there was initial insinuation that Asiwaju singlehandedly imposed Abiru. He is currently the only candidate who has obtained nomination form, filled and returned to the party through the State’s chairman, chief Tunde Valium, at the party secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba Lagos last Tuesday.

Tokunbo Abiru, born 25 March 1964, was the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank limited, Nigeria. He attended the 6- week Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and Lagos Business School (Senior Management Program) He holds a B.Sc (Economics ) from Lagos state University and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Honorary senior member of the chartered institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). In August 24, 2020. Abiru resigned from Polaris Bank to contest the Lagos East senatorial election under the platform of All progressive Congress.

He rose to the position of Executive Director at the First Bank Nigeria Limited (2013-2016) and was also the Honourable Commissioner Of Finance Lagos State, between (2011- 2013) under the dynamic and transformational leadership of Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) as Governor.

He was appointed in July 2016 by the Central Bank of Nigeria of Nigeria (CBN) as a Group managing Director to lead the turnaround of the regulator-induced takeover of the then troubled Skye Bank, in a bid to preserve the stability of the overall Nigerian financial system. The successful completion of the assignment gave birth to today’s Polaris Bank Limited. Tokunbo has also served in various reputable boards including: Airtel Mobile Networks limited, FBN Capital Limited (now FBN Quest Merchant Bank Limited) FBN Bank Sierra Leone limited, and Nigeria inter-Bank settlement system plc (NIBSS).

He holds a B.Sc. Economic from Lagos State University. He is an Alumnus of Harvard Business school and Lagos business school (Executive Education Programmes), a fellow of the institute of chartered accountant of Nigeria(FCA) and a Honorary fellow of the chartered institute of bankers of Nigeria(FCIB). He is happily married with children.