Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was born on the 16th of August 1953 in Katsina states in the Northern region of Nigeria to a Fulani family. His father also Lisa Yar’Aduawas a Minister in Lagos and the also held a chieftaincy title of Matawalle – custodian of the royal treasury in Katsina.
In 1958, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua began his primary education at Rafukka primary school. In 1962, he was transferred to Dutsinma Boarding Primary School. In 1965, it was admitted into Government College of Keffi until 1969. He received his Higher School Certificate from Barews college in 1971 then later attended Ahmadu Bello University for his tertiary education from the year 1972 to 1975.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in education and chemistry and in 1978 in return for a Masters of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry. In 1975, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua married Turqi Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. The couple had seven children together, five daughters and two sons. Yar’Adua was also married to Hauwa Umar Raada from 1992 to 1997. The couple had two children together.
After graduating from Ahmadu Bello University in 1975, he gained employment at Holy Child College, a Catholic School in Lagos. He was there for a year before moving to Kaduna state in 1976 to serve as a lecturer at the College of arts, science and technology in Zaira, Kaduna state until 1979. In 1979, he became a lecturer at College of Arts Science until 1983 when he left teaching and pursued a career in the corporate sector.
In 1983, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua began working as a General Manager at Sambo Forms LTD in Funtua, Katsina state until 1989. Yar’Adua’s political career began during the Second Republic, which was between the year 1979 to 1983. He became a member of the Peoples Redemption Party. He was also among the founding members of the Peoples Front of Nigeria which later became the Social Democratic Party with other prominent Nigerian politicians such as; Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Wada Abubakar, Baba Gana Kingibe, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila.
In 1999, Yar’Adua won the election for the state governorship of Katsina state and became the first governor to publicly declare his assets. During Yar’Adua’s tenure as Katsina state governor, the state adopted the Sharia/Islamic law and was the first state in the northern region of Nigeria to adopt it.
He was re-elected as the state governor again in 2003 after fulfilling his promises of running an effective public administration which in turn reduces the corruption level in the state.
In 2007, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua won the Nigerian presidential election with about 24.6 million votes, which was about 70% of the total votes cast. His election was heavily supported by his predecessor Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
After the election, Yar’Adua proposed a government of National Unity. An invitation which was accepted by two opposition parties, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in June 2007.
After he became President, it was revealed that Umaru Musa Yar’Adua suffered from a kidney condition and on the 6th of March 2007, he was flown to Germany for medical reasons. This spiked rumours about his health and caused critics to challenge his ability to perform his duties as the president of Nigeria. A spokesperson responded to the rumours saying that the president was just under a lot of stress. Some other rumours surfaced that the president was flown to Germany after suffering from a heart attack.
On the 23rd of November, Yar’Adua left Nigeria which was also the last time the president was sighted in public. He was reportedly taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia to be treated for Pericarditis. On the 22nd of January 2010, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had 14 days to decide if Yar’Adua was fit for performing his duties as the president of Nigeria.
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who died on the 5th of May 2010 at the age of 58.