Despite the presence of federal lawmakers at the visit of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to Bayelsa State on Friday, the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, stayed away, a pointer to the strained relationship between the governor, President Goodluck Jonathan and the lawmakers.

Led by Senators Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), lawmakers that attended Mrs. Jonathan’s distribution of empowerment items in the state capital Yenegoa included Senators Clever Ikisikpo (East) and Heineken Lokpobiri (West), all the members of the House of Representatives from the state as well as majority of the State House of Assembly lawmakers.

The First Lady, who was apparently elated at the solidarity shown her by the lawmakers, informed the crowd that the senators held a meeting with the President at the eve of the event after which, according to her, the senators promised to attend.

A source recalled that President Jonathan, who is from Bayelsa, refused to attend the Bayelsa State Thanksgiving Day which was held recently at the Cultural Centre, Yenegoa.

His words: “Jonathan has been going to other states, including Akwa Ibom, to commission projects by the governor but has refused entreaties from Governor Dickson to visit Bayelsa and inaugurate some of his projects. All is not well.

“They are passing a strong message to Dickson. None of them attended the Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day but they were with Madam. The battle has just started.”

The political crisis in Bayelsa State has deepened with the federal lawmakers forming a formidable force to upturn moves by Dickson and his camp to deny them re-election in 2015 by zoning their offices beyond their reach.

It was gathered that Dickson has been in a running battle with the lawmakers following their ambition to return to the National Assembly for second and third terms.

•Adapted from National Mirror.