He may not be the last son of the union between Alhaji Musa ‘Yar’adua and Hajiya Binta ‘Dada’, ‘Yar’adua, both of beloved memory, but he is now the eldest in the family, and without any iota of doubt, the next torch bearer of the ‘Yar’adua dynasty.

To be the torch bearer of the ‘Yar’adua dynasty is not going to be a walk in the park. It is a very big time job. It means filling the very large shoes the old Musa ‘Yar’adua, who was a Minister (of Lagos Affairs) in the First Republic, General Shehu, who was the Chief of Staff and number two man between 1975 and 1977 during the Obasanjo Regime and President Umaru (all put into one mighty shoes) left behind.

Senator Colonel AbdulAziz Musa ‘Yar’adua (rtd) knows many big personalities in and outside the country. He is in the very good books of people like former Head of State and former President, Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, Head of State, former President and his ‘senior brother’, Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the present President of the country, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, many serving and former governors, ministers, members of the National Assembly (NASS), kings and princes, business magnets and many many more.

He knows all of them courtesy of his father, his two brothers and his very self. One gets along just fine with such kind of people in support of and behind you.

The resemblance between the three ‘Yar’adua brothers is striking. But President Umaru and his younger brother, Senator Abdul’Aziz, were carbon copies, like two parts of the same coin. The General was just a little less so,  but there was a resemblance all the same.

However, this writer believes that it is not beyond the capabilities of the Senator representing the people of Katsina Central Senatorial Zone to fill the shoes adequately, and very suitable for the role. He is that kind of a man, and more. He is gentle, humble, kind and generous, attributes that are very rare among the monied famous families. Ask the people of his constituency, and the many others outside, who happened to come across him, about his gentle nature, unheard of in military people, and generosity. He is that and more in ways that are very positive. 

Most politicians on these shores go into politics to make money, but not Senator AbdulAziz ‘Yar’adua. As far as this writer can say, Senator AbdulAziz is in politics to serve the people and, maybe something else, but certainly not to make money. He has enough money of his own, for him to want to ‘make’ more from the Commonwealth. 

By the way, this write up is not a biography of the Katsina Central Senator. No. It is just a little that the writer knows about, and the possibilities that awaits, him, if he carries off the Herculean assignment well enough. Again, it does not appear to be beyond Senator AbdulAziz to do justice to the task.

Born in 1962, the Senator Colonel (Rtd) attended the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna for a short service course between 1984 and 1987, after which he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, before he retired from the Nigerian Army in 1910.

After his retirement following the death of President Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua, he never glossed over it, because God had a higher responsibility for him. He became closer to the family and his people, so much that in later years, after not succeeding to follow the footsteps of his brother, who was governor of Katsina state, he was to become a Nigerian Senator, and the Senate Chairman the  famous Northern Senators Forum, at only his first tenure.

May Allah continue to help, guid and steer him to greater things for Nigeria. Nigerians will definitely be the better for it.

Malam Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.