Head Of Service: ‘Aduda, Adebiyi In Final Race To Replace Yemi-Esan’

As the Head of the Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan approaches her mandatory retirement on August 13, the race to fill her position has narrowed down to two main contenders.

Ambassador Gabriel Aduda from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and Olusesan Adebiyi from the State House, are the final candidates in consideration for the prestigious role.

According to reliable sources within the Presidency who spoke with Leadership, after an extensive screening process by a panel appointed by the Presidency, only Aduda and Adebiyi remain from an initial list of ten candidates.

This development follows the panel’s decision to eliminate eight other hopefuls who did not meet the stringent criteria required for the top civil service position.

The source said, “With the recommendation of Aduda and Adebiyi, Mr President is left to exercise the prerogative to pick one of them as the new HoSCF. It’s the decision for Mr President to take. He can even look beyond them, but the panel has done its work and made appropriate recommendations that align with its findings.”

Yemi-Esan has less than one month to remain in office.

Aduda is the most senior, but the youngest permanent secretary in the federal civil service. He was born on October 25, 1971.

Prior to his present position as permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aduda served in the same capacity in the ministries of foreign affairs, youth and sports development, petroleum resources, and political and economic affairs in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Aduda, who was engaged in the federal civil service in 1999, is currently the governor of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Nigeria

He hails from the Federal Capital Territory in the North Central geopolitical zone of the country.

His rival, Adebiyi, was the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health before his current tenure in the State House.

He was redeployed to the State House on the orders of President Tinubu in August 2023.

Though born in Kabba, Kogi State, on January 8 1968, Adebiyi hails from Ekiti State.

A source told the platform that Aduda and Adebiyi are leaving no stone unturned to clinch the most influential position in the civil service and that their ambition has polarised top aides of President Tinubu.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Consequently, Aduda and Adebiyi have embarked on intensive lobby to seek the nod of Mr President. They are mobilising contacts from within and outside the country to convince and prevail on Mr President.

“Even the close aides of Mr. President are not exempted. They are rooting for either of the two and mounting pressures to secure the blessing of the big man (President Tinubu) to pick their choice. This has caused disaffection and squabbles among some key big boys close to Oga.”

Meanwhile, sources in the Presidency claimed that President Tinubu rejected Yemi-Esan’s request for a tenure extension.

It was learnt that it was in the aftermath of Tinubu’s snub that Yemi-Esan decided to back one permanent secretary to succeed her, a move Tinubu also resisted.