The NDPL was formed in August 1984 by supporters of Samuel Doe, who came to power in the 1980 coup d'état. The party contested the 1985 general election with Doe as its presidential candidate. He won 50.93% of the vote in an election marred by allegations of extensive irregularities and electoral fraud. The NDPL dominated both chambers of the Legislature, winning 21 of 26 seats in the Senate and 51 of 64 in the House of Representatives. The party's control of the country ended following the outbreak of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989 and the assassination of Doe in 1990.