Mr Flynn, who has been touted as a future leader of the party, will go before his party’s selection committee for the right to contest the seat.
This will put him in contention with sitting MSP Audrey Nicoll for selection to the constituency.
Speaking to his local Press and Journal newspaper, Mr Flynn said that it “didn’t fill him with any great delight” to go up against his SNP colleague.
He said: “Different people are chosen to represent the team at different moments in time and it will be for SNP members to determine who is ultimately their candidate in Aberdeen South and North Kincardine”, he added.
“I don’t want to sit it out”
“I took some time to properly think things over because there was a high degree of interest in what I was going to do or not do next.
“I came to the conclusion I don’t want to sit it out. I don’t want to sit out those battles that are coming for Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the wider nation.”
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In 2020, the SNP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) rewrote its rules to make it harder for sitting MPs to switch to Holyrood, forcing them to resign their seats to become candidates.
The decision forced former SNP MP Joanna Cherry to rule herself out from standing in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections.
But the party is yet to decide the rules for the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections. This will be a matter for the party’s National Executive Committee.
Asked by the P&J if he has an ambition to lead the party in the future, he added: “I don’t think the SNP is going to have a leadership contest for very many years.
“I’m fully confident in the manner in which John Swinney is rebuilding the party and refocusing government.
“I appreciate the desire that many people have to speculate in and around what my ambitions are or aren’t.
“Of course I want to do everything I possibly can to help my party and help my country and that will never change.”
