An haifi Alhaji Umaru Musa 'Yar Adua ranar 16 ga watan Agustan shekarar 1951 a garin Katsina. Mahaifinsa tsohon ministan Lagas ne a jamhuriya ta daya kuma matawallen Katsina, sarautar da marigayi Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar Adua ya gada.
Ya shiga makarantar firamare ta Rafukka a shekarar 1958, kuma daga bisani aka mayar da shi makarantar Firamare ta kwana dake Dutsimma.
A shekarar 1965 zuwa 1969 ya yi kwalejin gwamnati ta Keffi.
Daga nan kuma ya tafi kwalejin Barewa, inda ya kammala a shekarar 1971.
Ya shiga jami'ar Ahmadu Bello dake Zaria a shekarar 1972 zuwa 1975, inda yai karatun digirinsa na fannin ilimin koyarwa da na kimiyyar sinadirai.
A shekarar 1978 ne ya koma jami'ar Ahmadu Bellon domin yin digirinsa na biyu a fannin ilimin kimiyyar sinadaren.
Aikin farko da Alhaji Umaru Musa ‘Yar Adua ya fara shi ne na koyarwa a kwalejin Holy Trinity dake Lagas a shekarar 1975 zuwa 1976 kuma daga bisani ya koma koyarwa a kwalejin kimiyya da fasaha dake Zariya a tsakanin shekarun 1976 zuwa 1979 ya kuma ci gaba da koyarwa a kwalejin share fagen shiga jami'a ta Zariya har zuwa 1983, Marigayi Malam Umaru Musa 'Yar'adua ya bar aikin Malanta ya fara aiki da Gonar Sambo Farms a Funtua dake jihar Katsina inda ya zama GM.
Daga shekarar 1984 bayan da Sojojin sukayi juyin mulki malam Umaru Musa 'Yar'adua an kira shi domin zama wakili a hukumar gudanarwar kanfanoni da hukumomin gwamnati da dama da suka haɗa da hukumar samar da kayan Noma da kwalejin kimiyya da fasaha ta jihar katsina, Bankin Habib da Hamada Carpets da Madara Limited da kuma kanfanin buga Jaridu da Mujalla ta The Nation wanda ke kaduna kuma wansa Marigayi Janar Shehu Musa 'Yar'Adua ya mallaka.
Daga nan ya yi aiki a wurare daban daban.
A lokacin jamhuriya ta biyu ‘Yar Adua ya kasance dan jam'iyyar PRP yayin da a wannan lokacin mahaifinsa ne mataimakin shugaban jam'iyyar NPN na dan wani lokaci. in da shi kuma ya zama wakili a jam'iyar PRP ta Malam Aminu Kano mai adawa da NPN.
A lokacin da janar Ibrahim Babangida ke shirin maida mulki ga hannun farar hula. Umaru Musa 'Yar Adua ya kasance daga cikin mutanan da suka kafa wata kungiya mai suna Peoples Front wadda wansa janar Shehu Musa Yar Adua ya jagoranta, kuma ita ce ta rikide ta zama jam'iyyar SDP.
A shekarar 1991, Alhaji Umaru Musa 'Yar Adua ya tsaya takarar gwamnan jihar Katsina a karkashin jam'iyyar SDP in da ya sha kaye a hannun Sa'idu Barda na jam'iyyar NRC.
'Yar Adua ya sake tsayawa takarar gwamnan jahar Katsina a shekarar 1999 karkashin tutar jam'iyyar PDP, inda ya yi nasara, an kuma sake zabar sa a Karon Na Biyu a shekara ta 2003.
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar Ada ya kasance gwamna da shugaban kasa na farko a Najeriya da ya fara bayyana kadarorinsa, a wani matakin da wasu keganin na yaki da cin hanci da rashawa ne a tsakanin masu rike da makaman gwamnati a Najeriya.
A shekarar 2007 Umaru Musa 'Yar'Adua ya zama ɗan takakar muƙamin shugaban ƙasa na Jam'iyar PDP bayan ya samu Goyon bayan tsohon shugaban ƙasa Cif Olusegun Obasanjo ya zama shugaban ƙasa a ranar 29 ga watan Mayun 2007.
To sai dai rashin lafiyar da tsohon shugaban da yayi fama da ita ta sanya bai samu sukunin gudanar da harkokin mulki kamar yadda yayi fata ba musanman ƙudirorinsa guda bakwai daya tsara na ciyar da ƙasar gaba kafin nan da ƙarni ta 2020.
Allah Ya yiwa Alhaji Umaru Musa 'Yar Adua rasuwa ranar 5 ga watan Mayun shekara ta 2010, ya kuma rasu ya bar Mahaifiyarsa Da mace daya Hajiya Turai Yar Adua da ya'ya bakwai biyar mata biyu maza.
