Musa Yar'Adua wani shugaba ne kuma ɗan siyasa a Najeriya wanda ya rike muƙamin Ministan Harkokin Legas a lokacin Jamhuriya ta Farko ta Najeriya. Yar'Adua ya kasance minista lokacin da aka ayyana Lagos Island da babban birni a matsayin birnin Lagos a shekarar 1963. Shi ne mahaifin Umaru Musa Yar'adua, shugaban Nijeriya na 13, da kuma Shehu Musa Yar'adua, Shugaban Ma’aikatan gwamnatin mulkin soja ta Obasanjo. Lokacin da yake rayuwa, Yar'Adua da aka gudanar da Masarautu laƙabi na Tafidan Katsina kafin ya aka ɗagagge zuwa cewa na Matawalle na Katsina, wanda mahaifinsa Mallam Umaru sau daya da aka gudanar. Yar'Adua an haife ta ne a shekara ta 1912 ga Malama Binta, bafulatana daga dangin Sullubawa wacce ta kasance gimbiya gidan masarautar Katsina kuma 'yar uwar Sarki Muhammadu Dikko . Mahaifinsa shi ne Umaru Mutawallin Katsina, wani basarake wanda lakabinsa ya sanya shi mai kula da masarautar masarautar. Yayi karatun sa a Kwalejin Katsina tsakanin Shekara ta 1928 zuwa shekara ta 1930 kuma ya fara aikin koyarwa a makarantar Middle ta Katsina. Ya kasance malami na tsawon shekaru goma sha huɗu kafin canja wurin ayyuka zuwa ativean asalin ƙasar katsina.