Renault, which rescued Nissan Motor from near-bankruptcy a generation ago and sent in Carlos Ghosn to run the Japanese carmaker, is reasserting its influence as top shareholder.

The French carmaker, which holds 15% of voting rights, abstained from voting for the reappointment of influential outside director Motoo Nagai at Nissan¡¯s annual meeting Tuesday, resulting in his ouster from the board.

Nagai, a former banker from the company¡¯s main creditor Mizuho Financial Group, played a pivotal role during Ghosn¡¯s ejection from the company in 2018 and held sway over subsequent executive appointments as the only director serving on the nomination, compensation and audit committees.