When FUJIWARA no Koretada (the first son of Morosuke and the maternal uncle of the Emperor Enyu), who became the sessho succeeding his father Saneyori, suddenly died in 972, he was named as candidate for kanpaku (In "Chikanobu-kyo ki," it is recorded that the Emperor Enyu intended not to appoint any sessho or kanpaku and appoint Yoritada to the nairan (a position similar to the sessho and kanpaku) and notified Yoritada in private).
父実頼の後を受けて摂政になっていた藤原伊尹（師輔の長男で円融天皇の外伯父）が天禄3年（972年）に急死した際には関白候補の1人に挙げられた（『親信卿記』には、当初円融天皇は摂関を置かずに頼忠を内覧とする考えがあり、頼忠に内示していたとを記している）。