Published Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Speculation is growing that the SDLP's Patsy McGlone will mount a leadership challenge against Ms Ritchie in the coming weeks.
Ms Ritchie successfully defeated party colleague Alasdair McDonnell to take the reins in the wake of Mark Durkan stepping down in 2010.
But the current leader has come under repeated fire over her performances in the media spotlight.
On Wednesday night she said she will be running for leadership of the SDLP at the annual conference
"Anyone in the parliamentary Assembly group is free to put their name forward if they get the nominations.
"But at the end of the day, I am the leader.But anyone is free to put their name forward."
She added: "Nobody has told me anything that they would do differently."
Mr McGlone is expected to make an announcement soon, paving the way for a leadership contest at the SDLP's annual conference in November.
There may be more than one challenger to Margaret Ritchie for SDLP leadership. The name McDonnell could be added to McGlone on ballot paper
UTV's Political Editor Ken Reid on Twitter (@KenReid_UTV)
Ms Ritchie's critics have also called her role as leader into question in the wake of the SDLP's performance in the Assembly elections earlier this year.
The party took 14 seats, down two from its previous total, with Declan O'Loan failing to return in North Antrim and Tommy Gallagher losing out in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
Ms Ritchie told UTV at the time the party "didn't do as well as we should have", adding that they'd brought in some new faces and would look to rebuild.
"Speculation about Margaret Ritchie's leadership has grown since the SDLP experienced a very poor result in last May's Assembly election," said UTV's Political Editor Ken Reid.
"Patsy McGlone is possibly upset because he wasn't given the ministers job [the role of Environment Minister, filled by west Belfast MLA Alex Attwood] - the one ministry they earned."
"But he could be one of a number of senior figures that throw their hat in the ring. And it must be said that Margaret Ritchie says she'll fight any challenge."
The deadline for leadership contenders to nominate is September.