A defiant Tony Abbott has resisted calls for him to quit politics and will recontest his seat of Warringah at the next federal election.

The decision, announced on Sunday evening on his personal website, means the former prime minister will look to extend his 22 years in politics and potentially creates a political headache for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The move had been widely expected within the Liberal Party and ends months of speculation which was approaching fever pitch after preselections opened for the NSW branch of the Liberal Party last week.

The decision comes after he lost the leadership last September, and after a summer spent consulting with his family and political confidantes about his future.