Evans, who has been chairman of the club since 2009 and was re-elected for a three-year term at the end of last year, said he would stand for re-election at the club's annual general meeting in November.
"I am chairman of the board, this has happened under my watch," Evans said on Monday.
"I act at the pleasure of the members and supporters of this football club and I think they have a right for me to put myself up for re-election and they can make a call as to whether I remain as a board member of the Essendon Football Club."
Evans, after apologising to members for the breakdown of processes and governance at the club last season, said he wanted to give Essendon members the chance to decide if he should continue to lead.
"I made this decision in consultation with my wife, and I feel that it's the right thing to do for our football club in good governance," he said.
Evans also indicated the club was increasingly optimistic the Bombers had not been given any banned supplements in 2012.
"The club has been receiving advice from two pharmacological experts since the Bombers fronted the AFL at the start of February.
"They have been advising the board for the last three months and we're getting more and more confident … there was nothing banned that was given to our players," Evans said.
